tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62355066645292383112024-02-07T19:49:59.569-07:00Catholic Spiritual Direction- Seek Him - Find Him - Follow Him -Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-40137524504546475402009-08-22T20:14:00.018-06:002009-08-30T08:40:02.939-06:00Important Catholic Spiritual Direction UpdateDear Catholic Spiritual Direction subscribers, readers, and followers:<br /><br />Well, this blog started out as an experiment this winter and wow - there are thousands of you out there all over the world! More important than the numbers is the constant stream of notes that we receive from our readers regarding the blessings they have encountered on this blog - Christ be praised!<br /><br />Because of your response and continued readership, and our desire to better serve you, we have decided to move the site to a technology platform that provides more advanced management capabilities and that is more visible to the world through search engines.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The new site can be found </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/">here</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> or you can copy and paste this URL into your browser:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/">http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog</a><br /><br />The purpose for this post is to let you know that by the end of this week we plan to have the transition complete and we will no longer be providing posts here - instead, they will all appear on the new site. As well, we have some exciting things emerging with the site that we will share in the near future. That is all we can say for now - please keep us in your prayers.<br /><br />Just so we don't miss you, for those of you who may have signed up recently to get our posts (in the past week), please go to the new site and sign up. Our technology transition is not likely to be perfect with respect to transferring your memberships.<br /><br />In the mean time, enjoy, and never cease in your pursuit of Christ!<br /><br />Seek Him - Find Him - Follow Him<br /><br />DanUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-25123055446189743282009-08-20T04:00:00.000-06:002009-08-20T04:00:06.229-06:00Abandonment XVIII - The Ever-Flowing Spring of Holiness<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBQ-322RWV2WgbKME5ypaSbP_FUUvRQJg59SIhkd_1cy2hAIO8_s5oMLGmGvy8CNn-a3eNgrTsfzrdaEOQLSVQsdouJ5Mfg1PjuewQdQGxOdlSj2pw9ZN_x1ioAuyqMhTSrx7mO2Wqm8/s1600-h/s_+caterina+da+siena+3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 139px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBQ-322RWV2WgbKME5ypaSbP_FUUvRQJg59SIhkd_1cy2hAIO8_s5oMLGmGvy8CNn-a3eNgrTsfzrdaEOQLSVQsdouJ5Mfg1PjuewQdQGxOdlSj2pw9ZN_x1ioAuyqMhTSrx7mO2Wqm8/s200/s_+caterina+da+siena+3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370662251922132386" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-size:13px;"><p>O all you who thirst, learn that you have not far to go to find the spring of living waters! It springs forth quite close to you in the present moment. Therefore hasten to approach it. Why, with the spring so near, do you tire yourselves running after shallow brooks which only tease your thirst? They measure stingily the water they give us, while only the spring itself is inexhaustible. If you wish to think, write and talk like Apostles, prophets and saints, abandon yourselves as they did to God's inspiration.</p><p>O Love unknown! Men think that your wonders are past and finished, and that all we can do is copy the ancient volumes and quote Your words out of the past! And we do not see that Your unceasing action is an infinite source of new thoughts, new sufferings, new works, new patriarchs, new prophets, apostles, new saints, who have no need to copy each others lives or writings, but only to live in perpetual self-surrender to Your secret operations.</p><p>We like to speak of "the first ages of the Church - the times of the saints." Are not all times the effect of God's action, the working of His divine will, including all moments, filling them, sanctifying them and making them supernatural? Has there ever been a method of self-surrender to God's will which is not still practicable? Did the saints from the earliest ages have any other secret of holiness than that of becoming what God's will was seeking to make them from moment to moment? And will this operation not continue even to the end of time to pour out its grace on those who give themselves unreservedly to it?</p><p>Yes, dear eternal Love! Love eternally fruitful and full of wonder! Yes, Will of God! You are my book, my doctrine, my knowledge. In You are my thoughts, my words, my deeds, my crosses. It is not by consulting Your other works that I can become what You would make me, but only by accepting You in all things, in that one royal way, that ancient way, the way of our fathers, the way of self-surrender to Your will. I will think like them, speak like them, be enlightened as they were. In this way, I will imitate them, quote and copy them in everything.</p><p>Father Jean-Pierre de Caussade - <span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><a mce_style="color: #000000; text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.paracletepress.com/the-joy-of-full-surrender.html" mce_href="http://www.paracletepress.com/the-joy-of-full-surrender.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; ">Purchase </a></span><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><a mce_style="color: #000000; text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.paracletepress.com/the-joy-of-full-surrender.html" mce_href="http://www.paracletepress.com/the-joy-of-full-surrender.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; ">The Joy of Full Surrender</a></span></p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-61757838822269631872009-08-18T04:00:00.002-06:002009-08-18T04:00:00.456-06:0029. Believing Leads to Seeing (Mt 9:27-35)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO60D7kcCvn97oKEl5XFbz-bXpsStA8N7Td8uEv9sLTfrCwVD3MT8mLR5p91T9AB3vi5NPTctqKrsL3muo6fKqE6jdpikUu426Q3Bo1jyFerFuMIqykz8XP-UzEOrT4WVYT05XuwWhzew/s1600-h/theBetterPartCoversmall.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO60D7kcCvn97oKEl5XFbz-bXpsStA8N7Td8uEv9sLTfrCwVD3MT8mLR5p91T9AB3vi5NPTctqKrsL3muo6fKqE6jdpikUu426Q3Bo1jyFerFuMIqykz8XP-UzEOrT4WVYT05XuwWhzew/s200/theBetterPartCoversmall.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370663944965460290" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';"><div style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font: normal normal normal 13px/19px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; padding-top: 0.6em; padding-right: 0.6em; padding-bottom: 0.6em; padding-left: 0.6em; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-position: initial initial; "><p mce_style="text-align: right;" style="text-align: right; "><span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">“Therefore, that shining light of which has been lit for our salvation must always shine in us.”</span></p><p mce_style="text-align: right;" style="text-align: right; ">- St Chromatius</p><p>Matthew 9:27-35</p><p>As Jesus went on his way two blind men followed him shouting, ‘Take pity on us, Son of David’. And when Jesus reached the house the blind men came up with him and he said to them, ‘Do you believe I can do this?’ They said, ‘Sir, we do’. Then he touched their eyes saying, ‘Your faith deserves it, so let this be done for you’. And their sight returned. Then Jesus sternly warned them, ‘Take care that no one learns about this’. But when they had gone, they talked about him all over the countryside. They had only just left when a man was brought to him, a dumb demoniac. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb man spoke and the people were amazed. ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel’ they said. But the Pharisees said, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts out devils’. Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Christ the Lord</span></p><p>With this passage, St. Matthew finishes his narration of ten miracles performed in the aftermath of the Sermon on the Mount, in confirmation of the trustworthiness of what was said in that sermon, as it were. These last two miracles mark the final flourish on this section of the Gospel, showing that nothing, absolutely nothing, is excluded from Christ’s saving mission.</p><p>Jesus doesn’t come to rescue bits and pieces of broken humanity; he comes to gather it all into a new, everlasting Kingdom. His redemption actually brings good out of evil. If evil – whether on a grand scale of human history or on the smaller scale of individual human lives – were able to damage our humanity beyond the possibility of restoration, we would have no reason to hope. Jesus, however, shows that God’s loving goodness is far superior to evil. Those who let him into their lives discover not only forgiveness, security, and relief, but a profound renewal that gradually extends to every corner of their being. The Lord is Savior, but he is also <span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">Redeemer</span>.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Christ the Teacher</span></p><p>Jesus works in our lives according to a plan. He knows what he is doing, just as he knew what he was doing during the days of his public life.</p><p>He orders the two blind men to keep the miracle under wraps. This is a frequent injunction, especially in the Gospel of Mark. He knew that the Israelites’ hearts had been hardened and confused through the centuries, so he was gradually revealing his full identity and the full extent of his mission. He wanted time to train his closest disciples, and he wanted freedom of action – all of which could be compromised if news of his miracles sparked precipitous action from the authorities or spawned too quickly a suffocating wave of wonder-loving crowds. Although his heart couldn’t resist the desperate, faith-filled appeals of the suffering people he came to save, he was nevertheless following a clear strategy.</p><p>Just so, he works in our lives intelligently, gradually, strategically. But we can’t see the whole plan – it’s too big and bright for our mortal gaze. And so we have to learn to simply travel along by his side like the disciples, listening, obeying, and trusting, carrying out one piece of the plan at a time.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Christ the Friend</span></p><p>The Pharisees were unbelieving. They didn’t want to believe in a Messiah that didn’t fit their preconceived ideas, so they found ways to justify their resistance – if Jesus drives out demons, he must be possessed by a stronger demon, that’s all. Imagine how Christ’s heart reacted to those accusations, such stubborn resistance to his grace. Imagine how he reacts to the disbelief of so many people who refuse to see the signs of his love and truth in our world today.</p><p>When a friend is in pain, you do whatever you can to comfort him. Christians can comfort Christ by keeping their own faith fresh and, above all, by living a real, practical, and universal Christian charity. That’s the only way to lay a successful siege against the world’s many barricaded hearts – breaching their walls with love, so the gift of faith can come streaming in.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Christ in My Life</span></p><p><span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">You have let me see some miracles, Lord. You have given me experiences that can have no other explanation than yourself. Don’t let me forget them, Lord; let them nourish my faith. I believe in your saving power and your continued presence. Thank you for the amazing things you have done in my life. Pray for me, Holy Mother of God, that I may be made worthy of the love of Christ…</span></p><p><span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">Lord, there are people in my life who are blind, who are mute, who are trapped in the darkness of sin. Jesus, I pray for them now. Free them, enlighten them, as you have done with me. Free me, too; keep enlightening me. I want to comfort you, Lord, with my faith and charity. Teach me to bear the torch of your love. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in you…</span></p><p><span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">These two blind men prayed so simply, so faithfully, and so directly! “Son of David, take pity on us!” Lord, have pity on me. You know my misery and my blindness. I believe that you can heal me. I believe that you can make me into a saint. You can do all things, Lord…</span></p><p>Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek, LC</p></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-24332681416527601782009-08-17T04:00:00.002-06:002010-04-24T16:25:01.792-06:00- I am a convert and am struggling with the idea of praying to Mary, can you help? - Part III<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3d7snyKH41S72XyCdhyAAKZoF2lwffmoggtxKZZX1PFhnWsGeWUdJN4P_1o6LdDKXjW7w5jI8Lsr7iuzsye4kuGvXa3qKMazmTNGMQyLuVvAjFYhxlTYKGgzP8VPeYLccgF8GcUEZTPc/s1600-h/Bougerou+Mary+Prayer.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3d7snyKH41S72XyCdhyAAKZoF2lwffmoggtxKZZX1PFhnWsGeWUdJN4P_1o6LdDKXjW7w5jI8Lsr7iuzsye4kuGvXa3qKMazmTNGMQyLuVvAjFYhxlTYKGgzP8VPeYLccgF8GcUEZTPc/s200/Bougerou+Mary+Prayer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370620211034703378" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;font-size:13px;" ><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Q: Father John, I am a convert to the Catholic faith, and I still have difficulties with Mary. Don’t get me wrong – I believe all the dogma and doctrine fully, but when it comes to praying to Mary, I don’t seem to get it. What role is she supposed to have in my pursuit of holiness and spiritual growth?</span></p><p>A: She has the role of helping you cling more closely to her Son, Jesus Christ – that’s what first examined, the theological underpinning of Marian devotion. And she exercises that role in three ways, as we have seen: by her presence, her example, and her intercession. Now we are ready to drill down to the practical level. What can we do, concretely, to live this Marian devotion fruitfully, to allow our mother in the order of grace to nurture, guide, and protect our spiritual growth? Here we arrive, finally, to the most obvious and familiar aspect, Marian <span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">devotions.</span> Marian <span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">devotions</span> are the many different ways that individual Catholics can engage in a healthy Marian <span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">devotion.</span></p><p>The distinction between devotion and devotions is crucial. Catholics are not superstitious. We do not engage in ritual or pious practices as if they were magical formulae. Our devotions give form to our devotion, just as a birthday cake gives form to our appreciation of a loved one’s existence. Without the sincere appreciation, the cake would have no meaning. If we engage in specific Marian devotions without plugging into the deeper theological source that gives them meaning, these practices can become distractions or even temptations that actually hinder our spiritual growth.</p><p>Having given that warning, we are ready to mention some common Marian devotions that, when lived rightly, allow the Blessed Virgin to fulfill her role in our pursuit of holiness.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Categories of Marian Devotions</span></p><p>The numerous Marian devotions that have arisen and flourished in the Church can be grouped into several categories. The most common and obvious category are the prayers. Praying to Mary (not worshipping her as if she were a goddess, but acknowledging her presence, admiring her example, and asking for her intercession) is the most direct and common form of Marian devotion. And among the prayers, the Rosary holds first place. Almost every pope since 1900 has written an encyclical letter encouraging Catholics to make use of this devotion. The Memorare, the <span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Sub tuum presiduum, </span>the Angelus, and the Regina Caeli are other favorite Marian prayers. We could write an entire post on each one, examining its meaning and its history. Many lesser known Marian prayers exist as well, especially novenas and individual prayers composed by saints and popes. These are vocal prayers (except the Rosary, which is a combination of vocal and mental prayer), and we pray them well in the same way that we pray all vocal prayers well.</p><p>Another category of Marian devotions consists of Marian shrines. By making a visit or a pilgrimage to a Church-approved shrine, we can give our Marian devotion a turbo boost. Shrines are sometimes linked to Marian apparitions (e.g., Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Lourdes) or artistic/miraculous images of Mary (e.g. Our Lady of Czestochowa, Our Lady of Chiquinquira, Our Lady of Guadalupe). The history of these events, places, and images offer eloquent (and sometimes downright awe-inspiring) testimonies of Mary’s active role in leading her spiritual children closer to the Lord. Every year, they inspire and renew the hearts and minds of millions of visitors and pilgrims.</p><p>On a day-to-day level, Catholics have long used household images to channel their Marian devotion. Reproductions of famous and powerful religious paintings and statues adorn living rooms, bedrooms, laundry rooms, dashboards, lockers, workshops, barber shops, restaurants, yards, road-side chapels, screen-savers, cell phone wallpaper, street corners, hospitals, prisons, and even casinos throughout the world. The mere fact of such ubiquity illustrates, to some extent, the powerful and inescapable role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of Christ’s Church. Most parish churches will also have a prominent Marian image, either close to the sanctuary or in a side chapel. Glancing at these images, or even spending a few moments now and again contemplating them or praying to Mary in front of them (this is often called “making a visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary”), allows Mary’s spiritual motherhood to work in our lives.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Getting Personal</span></p><p>For someone who has not developed a favorite form of Marian devotion, this variety of devotions may seem overwhelming. Don’t worry! None of us is called to engage in all of these <span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">devotions</span>, though all of us are called to develop Marian <span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">devotion</span>. The key is to find one or two devotions that help <span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">you</span> live the devotion fruitfully. If you are at level zero, I would recommend starting to pray the Rosary, one decade every day (this <a mce_style="color: #114170;" href="http://circlepress.org/shop/index.php?p=product&id=2&parent=7" mce_href="http://circlepress.org/shop/index.php?p=product&id=2&parent=7" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 65, 112);">Rosary booklet</a> may be of assistance). If you are looking to deepen your devotion, you may want to arrange a mini-pilgrimage to a local Marian shrine for your family, for a group of families, or maybe even for yourself. An annual Marian pilgrimage, especially during the month of May (a month in which, traditionally, Catholics give special attention to Marian devotion), is an effective way to weave Catholic traditions into the fabric of family life.</p><p>I hope these series of posts have helped answer your question and put your mind at ease about the role Mary is meant to have in our great adventure of following Christ and building his Church. But if it hasn’t, don’t worry; there’s no rush. By seeking Christ in and through his Catholic Church, you will eventually come to know, love, and feel very comfortable with the Mother of our Lord.</p><p>Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek, LC</p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-781318455305722802009-08-13T04:00:00.002-06:002009-08-13T04:00:11.437-06:00Abandonment XVII – Especially for Us<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeOyiiEoP9mGdwRrYNjCfRFIyxgVY14m63NMlyIIJnoOfoOkJXL43AJx2knAsIWyvcdNlcjfaYaYvOgHR6amTEZdzFvxNqWuPimv53l0wdGdd5EEBiZGlp6mLc8WICFdFywM3cjONk9k/s1600-h/s_+caterina+da+siena+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 139px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeOyiiEoP9mGdwRrYNjCfRFIyxgVY14m63NMlyIIJnoOfoOkJXL43AJx2knAsIWyvcdNlcjfaYaYvOgHR6amTEZdzFvxNqWuPimv53l0wdGdd5EEBiZGlp6mLc8WICFdFywM3cjONk9k/s200/s_+caterina+da+siena+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367965635954732882" border="0" /></a>We can only be truly instructed by the words which God speaks to us personally. No one grows in knowledge of God either by reading books or by curious historical research. These means give us but a vain and empty knowledge, which serves only to confuse us and inflate us with pride. <p>That which truly instructs us in what comes to us by the will of God from moment to moment. This is the knowledge gained through experience, which Christ Himself was pleased to acquire before teaching others. In fact, this was the only knowledge in which He could grow, according to the expression of the holy Gospel (Luke 2:52); because being God, there was no degree of speculative knowledge which He did not already possess. Therefore if this experimental knowledge was useful to the Incarnate Word Himself, it is absolutely necessary for us if we would touch the heart of those whom God sends to us.</p> <p>We only know perfectly that which we have learned by experience through suffering or action. This is the school of the Holy Spirit, who speaks the words of life to the heart; and all that we say to others should come from this source. Whatever we read, whatever we see, becomes divine knowledge only by the fruitfulness, the virtue the light which this experience gives. Without this experiential knowledge, all our learning is like unleavened dough, lacking the salt and the seasoning of experience. Without this experiential knowledge, we have only vague, untried ideas to act on, we are like the dreamer who, through knowing all the highways of the world, misses the road to his own house.</p> <p>Therefore we have only to listen to God from moment to moment in order to become learned in the knowledge by which the saints lived, which is all practice and experience.</p> <p>Set aside what is said to others, but listen to what is said to you and for you; you will find enough in that to exercise you faith, because this interior language of God, by its very obscurity, exercises, purifies and increases your faith.</p> <p>Father Jean-Pierre de Caussade - <b><a href="http://www.paracletepress.com/the-joy-of-full-surrender.html" mce_href="http://www.paracletepress.com/the-joy-of-full-surrender.html" target="_blank">Purchase </a></b><b><a href="http://www.paracletepress.com/the-joy-of-full-surrender.html" mce_href="http://www.paracletepress.com/the-joy-of-full-surrender.html" target="_blank">The Joy of Full Surrender</a></b></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-10866968322064768792009-08-12T04:00:00.001-06:002009-08-12T04:00:05.073-06:0028. THE HEALING TOUCH (MT 9:18-26)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_aR418T-pJveyrp8ZZEH4eGDLjSPrfRL4tR9dUnEpaA_j2qT57A0BFZK00NbmRxCDPGagjbU6ubjQeBStFQnaD6cNkbHbRyjBs3FaiszjP7JD4jqzBp7llvbX-AchcfAPr3J09ItctYk/s1600-h/theBetterPartCoversmall.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 2px; height: 1px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_aR418T-pJveyrp8ZZEH4eGDLjSPrfRL4tR9dUnEpaA_j2qT57A0BFZK00NbmRxCDPGagjbU6ubjQeBStFQnaD6cNkbHbRyjBs3FaiszjP7JD4jqzBp7llvbX-AchcfAPr3J09ItctYk/s200/theBetterPartCoversmall.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367633047203077794" border="0" /></a><br /><p style="text-align: right;">“Nothing can come but that which God wills. And I feel very sure that whatsoever that may be, however bad it may appear, it shall indeed be the best<br />- St Thomas More<br /></p><p>Matthew 9:18-26<br />While he was speaking to them, up came one of the officials, who bowed low in front of him and said, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and her life will be saved’. Jesus rose and, with his disciples, followed him. Then from behind him came a woman, who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years, and she touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I can only touch his cloak I shall be well again’. Jesus turned round and saw her; and he said to her, ‘Courage, my daughter, your faith has restored you to health’. And from that moment the woman was well again. When Jesus reached the official’s house and saw the flute-players, with the crowd making a commotion he said, ‘Get out of here; the little girl is not dead, she is asleep’. And they laughed at him. But when the people had been turned out he went inside and took the little girl by the hand; and she stood up. And the news spread all round the countryside.<br /></p><p><b>CHRIST THE LORD </b> Each of us puts our faith in someone. It may be a great teacher you once had, or your boss, or an effective leader, or it may simply be yourself. Human life is fragile, confusing, and brief – we naturally seek stability, which comes from putting one’s faith in someone. St. Matthew shows once again in this passage that Jesus alone is worthy of total faith.<br />We have already seen him heal a conscience by forgiving sins, calm a raging storm at sea, cure the sick and cast out devils… As if that weren’t enough, now he heals a disease that has persisted for twelve years to show that his power has no limits, and then raises a girl from the sleep of death to show that he is the Lord of life.<i> This is the God who created you and knows your name</i>, the Lord who gives his body and blood to be your saving food and drink. How worthy he is to receive the trust we all need to give!<br /></p><p><b>CHRIST THE TEACHER</b> St. Matthew emphasizes the role of faith in these miracles. The official kneels in front of Jesus – an act of homage and self-deprecation, an acknowledgment of his need and Jesus’ superiority and power. When the suffering woman touches him, it is her faith that reveals her presence to Jesus, and her faith that activates the cure.<br /></p><p>Faith – belief in Jesus as Savior, trust in his goodness and omnipotence – unleashes the transforming power of God’s grace in our lives. God is not a Coke machine – we don’t pay the price of a few rote prayers and rituals, press a button, and get divine grace in exchange. God is a person; faith is our relationship with that person. We are created to know and love him and to share in his knowledge and love, but to do that we have to trust in him. We have to take him at his word, just as we have to do with anyone else we want to let into our lives.<br /></p><p><b>CHRIST THE FRIEND</b> St. Matthew shows us a Jesus who is utterly approachable. A sick woman is unafraid to fight through the crowds so she can reach out and touch the tassel on his cloak, and her confidence is rewarded with a miracle, a smile, and a tender, intimate word of encouragement. A synagogue official feels perfectly comfortable inviting Jesus into his house to resolve a tragic family crisis, and Jesus gladly complies, taking the little girl’s hand in his own and restoring her to life. This illustrates the message of the Incarnation. God is close to us; he is with us. He wants us to approach him – he wants us to open our hearts to him. If we are willing to accept the friendship of Christ, we never have to be alone.<br /><b><br />CHRIST IN MY LIFE</b> Have I unwittingly put any limits on what I think you can do in my life? This sick woman had been suffering for twelve years. It must have seemed like an eternity for her. But she didn’t give up hope. Have I? You are my hope, Lord. I place my sufferings at your feet. Let me hear your words of encouragement; let me feel your saving power. With the joy of your heart, expand my heart…<br /><br />I believe in You, Lord. I believe in your Catholic Church. I believe in love; I believe in your love. I trust in you – you know I do. But I want to trust more. I want to be as close and hope-giving to others as you are to me. Give me what I ask of you, Lord, and then ask what you will…<br /><br />Lord, I know that no matter how bad things look, you are still at my side. I know that even when I can see only darkness with my reason, your light shines through my faith. Yet, in times of trouble, it is so hard to see your light. Lord Jesus, increase my faith. Teach me to see all things as you see them, and to see you in all things…</p>Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek, LCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-61325007095359672342009-08-10T04:00:00.001-06:002010-04-24T16:25:17.336-06:00- I am a convert and am struggling with the idea of praying to Mary, can you help? - Part II<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChlNEC-SiUa0y1bfko471Foj26XEGoR0XMcV-dNgDUEPxLmPn49xGEF8fZRX57_pXsnXGPOw-uES6_yJh4q9Ce9dW6EIRoIT3O59X-IilgnAlXnkgbc8e7gPV1EdhJD57R5vABtGFMT4/s1600-h/Bougerou+Mary+Prayer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 2px; height: 1px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChlNEC-SiUa0y1bfko471Foj26XEGoR0XMcV-dNgDUEPxLmPn49xGEF8fZRX57_pXsnXGPOw-uES6_yJh4q9Ce9dW6EIRoIT3O59X-IilgnAlXnkgbc8e7gPV1EdhJD57R5vABtGFMT4/s200/Bougerou+Mary+Prayer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367619656103913442" border="0" /></a><br /><p><b>Q: Father John, I am a convert to the Catholic faith, and I still have difficulties with Mary. Don’t get me wrong – I believe all the dogma and doctrine fully, but when it comes to praying to Mary, I don’t seem to get it. What role is she supposed to have in my pursuit of holiness and spiritual growth?</b></p> <p>A: God in his wisdom has given us a mother in the order of grace, Mary. He didn’t have to do it that way, but he chose to, and in the last post we examined, briefly, why. The liturgical feasts that honor Mary, the Mother of God, throughout the year provide us with opportunities to read, reflect, and meditate on this aspect of God’s plan of salvation. We shouldn’t expect those efforts to lead us to a complete and exhaustive understanding of Mariology (the study of Mary’s role in Redemption), but deeper insights into the role and ecclesial action of our Lord’s Mother will, surely, lead us closer to the Lord himself, and that’s our goal.</p> <p>Having looked briefly at the doctrinal foundation of Marian devotion, we are now prepared to give a more direct answer to your question about what that devotion is supposed to look like in practice. Mary draws us closer to Christ in three ways, the three ways that all saints draw us closer to Christ, though as Queen of all the saints (and because of her special privileges, e.g., the Immaculate Conception), Mary’s draw is objectively more powerful than theirs: 1) through her presence; 2) through her intercession; 3) through her example. We’ll take a separate post to look at each one.</p> <p><b>The Source of Mary’s Greatness</b></p> <p>The presence of the Blessed Virgin in our lives, the knowledge faith gives us that she watches over us spiritually as natural mothers watch over their children naturally, gives us a constant reminder of the most important principle of Christian living: the primacy of grace. Mary’s greatness, unlike goddesses from pagan myths, doesn’t come from her own excellence. It comes from the privileged excellence that she received from God. The Archangel Gabriel greeted her by calling her “full of grace.” It was God’s special action in her life, his grace, that preserved her from sin and prepared her to become the New Eve. She cooperated with this grace; she was docile to what God asked of her; she allowed God’s grace to penetrate and rule her life. Yet, that grace, that <i>action of God</i> in her life, was the real protagonist of her greatness.</p> <p>Mary is the first one to remind us Jesus’ sobering admonition: “I am the vine, you are the branches… Cut off from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).</p> <p>The same grace that was at work in the Blessed Virgin Mary has been at work in all the saints, and it is at work in us. When we were baptized, we received an infusion of that same grace. Every time we pray or receive any of the other sacraments, that same grace – the active presence of God working in our souls supernaturally, from within – continues to warm and transform into our hearts and minds, as sunlight transforms a cold, shadowy cave.</p> <p><b>The Power of Mary’s Presence</b></p> <p>When we turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary, therefore, her presence reminds us of the primacy and power of God’s grace, and gives a supernatural boost to our faith, hope, and confidence in God. If God’s grace performed such wonders in her, it can do the same in us. This boost of confidence is especially effective because when we turn to Mary we turn to her as our Mother. In relation to a mother, a child is always a child. In relation to Mary, we are always spiritual children. And so, her presence keeps alive in us the childlike spirit that we need in order to be docile to God’s will. It reminds us, in short, that we are not self-sufficient.</p> <p>In this sense, Mary’s presence is especially important for us modern American Catholics. The American way of life, marked more and more by secularism and consumerism, is turning self-sufficiency into a real idol. Much more than previous generations do we need to reminded that we are spiritual children, that without God’s grace we can do nothing. At the risk of making this post exceedingly long, here is a quotation from a speech Pope Benedict XVI gave to the bishops of the United States during his visit in the spring of 2008. Notice how much he emphasizes the importance of depending on God – the primacy of grace:</p> <blockquote><p>“It is easy to be entranced by the almost unlimited possibilities that science and technology place before us; it is easy to make the mistake of thinking we can obtain by our own efforts the fulfillment of our deepest needs. This is an illusion. Without God, who alone bestows upon us what we by ourselves cannot attain, our lives are ultimately empty. People need to be constantly reminded to cultivate a relationship with him who came that we might have life in abundance.”</p></blockquote> <p>Mary’s presence keeps us humble, confident in God, and full of childlike docility and energy. In the next post we will look at the power of Mary’s intercession.</p> <p>Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek, LC</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-53510146500941183812009-08-04T04:00:00.002-06:002009-08-04T04:00:05.295-06:00The problem of "Praying to Saints"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7gNRNAKSyDCA3GESmcnAuhzfqHkXGxginYTvexb0v70n2EZLwIqIKiz2xEEa0GcoviQuIhV7ogcy73Am3w1fXfWzaLSEB-WsAjgOWsiv0JqnXR8wtWTatZ6o-3htAbuxdmoYod0nLvw/s1600-h/Saint_Silouane.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 141px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7gNRNAKSyDCA3GESmcnAuhzfqHkXGxginYTvexb0v70n2EZLwIqIKiz2xEEa0GcoviQuIhV7ogcy73Am3w1fXfWzaLSEB-WsAjgOWsiv0JqnXR8wtWTatZ6o-3htAbuxdmoYod0nLvw/s200/Saint_Silouane.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365102458931745234" border="0" /></a>At one time in my life I viewed Christians as shallow people blindly following silly rules. As I was to discover, these perceptions were not only wrong, they were worlds away from reality. The root cause of my misperception was my confident ignorance. Until I allowed Christians to speak to me and define<i> their faith</i> in <i>their words</i>, I was unable to get anywhere near the truth. <p>As a Protestant, I had the same problem when examining teachings of the Catholic Church. Even after more than a decade of study, one-hundred percent of my perceptions were framed, not by understanding how the Catholic Church defined or explained its own beliefs, but by how Protestants defined and explained them. With that as a back-drop, let's look at a common concern with the idea of "praying" to the Saints.</p> <p>First of all the word "prayer" was a huge stumbling block for me. It is very important for Catholics to understand that in the Protestant world, the word "prayer" is <i>never </i>used for any other purpose than to describe communication with God. So to hear someone was "praying" to a Saint easily sounded like sacrilege.</p> <p>A similarly sized challenge for the Catholic is finding alternative words to describe this preternatural conversation. No Protestant has an issue with asking a friend to pray for them. The scenario of a prayer request to an earthly friend is easily described because the exchange happens in the natural realm. For example, "I talked with Bill and asked him to pray for me." If a Catholic were to use natural-realm language like this to describe the expression of their needs to someone beyond this life, for obvious reasons, it would sound odd and incomprehensible. The difficulty is that aside from the word "prayer" what word could one use to describe this exchange? I can't think of one that captures the true nature of the Catholic's supranatural supplication. So, one is then forced into either falsely defining reality <i>for</i> the Catholic, or, <i>allowing them to define what they mean by what they say</i>.</p> <p>An honest inquiry reveals that the phrase "prayer to" as defined by Catholicism in this context, can be accurately translated like this, "I sought to engage Saint Catherine to intercede on my behalf." Now, any reasonable person would find this an odd and circumlocutious utterance. Instead, a Catholic achieves the same meaning from the efficient expression, "I prayed to Saint Catherine." To a Catholic this does <i>not </i>mean that Saint Catherine, any more than Bill in the example above, takes the place of God. What it does mean is that Saint Catherine loves God, is a sister in Christ, cares about the person, and will likely intercede for them effectively. No more, no less.</p> <p>So, if we accept a purely Protestant definition of a contextually Catholic use of a word or phrase, we end up with a contrived psuedosacrilege. If we use a Catholic definition in a Catholic context, we end up with something quite reasonable and biblically sound.</p> <p>Unfortunately, the errant interpretive method outlined above is very common to Protestant evaluations of Catholic doctrine. This disappointing approach is unworthy of the often helpful perspectives Protestants bring to doctrinal discourse on important issues in the Christian life.</p> <p>Seek Him - Find Him - Follow Him</p> <p>Dan</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-71813018383106860922009-08-03T04:00:00.001-06:002010-04-24T16:25:30.828-06:00- I am a convert and am struggling with the idea of praying to Mary, can you help?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtC3SanOS1cX_AaNxTrJtstL-FVGRweT9mYY_Bg3lHFFxm9nmPMGAl7vGBzOYfTlc4kLSXVyBT8E6ebSfxDCpm3wKaOoQekp-nKvaEMbccHnjxmuMtkl9clNOakC0dO1nrVDroJbZblPU/s1600-h/Bougerou+Mary+Prayer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtC3SanOS1cX_AaNxTrJtstL-FVGRweT9mYY_Bg3lHFFxm9nmPMGAl7vGBzOYfTlc4kLSXVyBT8E6ebSfxDCpm3wKaOoQekp-nKvaEMbccHnjxmuMtkl9clNOakC0dO1nrVDroJbZblPU/s200/Bougerou+Mary+Prayer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365103544196441282" border="0" /></a><b>Q: Father John, I am a convert to the Catholic faith, and I still have difficulties with Mary. Don’t get me wrong – I believe all the dogma and doctrine fully, but when it comes to praying to Mary, I don’t seem to get it. What role is she supposed to have in my pursuit of holiness and spiritual growth?</b> <p>A: This is a great question for the month of August, with the Solemnity of Mary’s Assumption right around the corner. As a fellow convert, I think I know what you mean. Marian devotion (this refers to what you mention about the “role she is supposed to have in my pursuit of holiness”) flows from Marian doctrine, from what the Church teaches about Mary’s role in God’s plan of salvation. The core of that doctrine is, as you can imagine, Jesus Christ. Mary is important because Jesus is important. Let’s take a look at the doctrinal issue before we move into specifics of Marian devotion.</p> <p><b>Avoiding Exaggerations</b></p> <p>Non-Catholic Christians often accuse Catholics of idolizing the Blessed Virgin Mary, of treating her like a goddess instead of a creation of God. Undoubtedly, some Catholics have had, and still have, an exaggerated devotion to Mary. But the Church’s official teaching has consistently steered clear of exaggeration. The Second Vatican Council points out that devotion to Mary “as it has always existed in the Church, for all its uniqueness, differs essentially from the cult of adoration,” (Lumen Gentium, 66) which is offered to God alone, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In other words, Catholics don’t worship Mary; we worship God. Anyone worshiping Mary, treating her as if she were divine, would not be following Catholic practice.</p> <p>Most Catholics in modern America, however, tend to exaggerate Marian devotion in the other direction: giving it too little attention instead of too much. Vatican II also pointed this out, when it warned theologians and preachers to “refrain as much from all false exaggeration as from too summary an attitude in considering the special dignity of the Mother of God” (Lumen Gentium, 67).</p> <p><b>Mary’s Unique Role: God’s Choice</b></p> <p>Mary is not just another run-of-the-mill Christian. She was not just some kind of surrogate mother that God rented out for nine months and then forgot about. Not at all.</p> <p>God could have chosen to send us a Savior in a thousand different ways. He could have sent him to earth on a chariot of fire descending from the night sky, or formed him from the dust of the ground as he had formed Adam. He could have. But he didn’t. He chose to come to us, to bring us eternal life, to redeem the fallen world, through a woman. He chose to be incarnate, to become a zygote, an embryo, a fetus and a baby in a mother’s womb.</p> <p>That fact, recorded in the Gospels, is the secret to understanding everything that the Church teaches about the Mary: God chose to send Christ into the world through Mary’s free and conscious collaboration. He didn’t have to, he chose to. And all of Mary’s special privileges – her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption into heaven, and her perpetual virginity – flow from that choice.</p> <p><b>Christ Stays at the Center</b></p> <p>But why did God choose to send us our Savior in this way? The Church points to a certain appropriateness in having a woman, a mother, collaborate so closely in the redemption of the world. After all, the original plan of God for mankind was disrupted through the disobedience of both Adam and Eve: together they had been entrusted with a mission that together they messed up. It is fitting, then, that Christ, the new Adam, should involve Mary, the new Eve, so intricately in his plan of redemption. As St. Irenaeus, writing in the second century, put it, “the knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by Mary’s obedience.”</p> <p>The Second Vatican Council puts it beautifully when describing the angel’s annunciation to the Virgin Mary: “The Father of mercies willed that the Incarnation should be preceded by assent on the part of the predestined mother, so that just as a woman had a share in bringing about death, so also a woman should contribute to life” (Lumen Gentium, 56).</p> <p>When we were baptized, we became Christ’s brothers and sisters, as well as members of his body (the Church), and so Mary’s maternal care for Christ was extended to us as well. Responding to that care, accepting it and utilizing it to help us follow Christ more closely, is the heart of Marian devotion. The proud and self-willed child wants to do everything himself; the humble and wise child allows his mother to teach, guide, and inspire him. Mary wants to do that for us in three ways. We will look at them one-by-one in the next post.</p> <p>Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek, LC</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-69494293712513253532009-07-29T04:00:00.000-06:002009-07-29T04:00:05.897-06:0027. NEW WINE AT THE WEDDING (MT 9:14-17)<div style="text-align: right;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKNxBST2Zkm2D3_T4NHEs9B874_HspNoj8PcA4t1t6lhcJd6dFY2f5dV1t_Pyx8Ebq6RHuYr7W5f7BlXNQ0VfnHXU8GBiG3Af39PC-QSMg8KqEie-4gRBIHSIMg-iXnIcouNpl7o_sjs/s1600-h/theBetterPartCoversmall.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKNxBST2Zkm2D3_T4NHEs9B874_HspNoj8PcA4t1t6lhcJd6dFY2f5dV1t_Pyx8Ebq6RHuYr7W5f7BlXNQ0VfnHXU8GBiG3Af39PC-QSMg8KqEie-4gRBIHSIMg-iXnIcouNpl7o_sjs/s200/theBetterPartCoversmall.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363691688617566338" border="0" /></a><i>“God’s splendor is the source of life, those who see him share his life. Because he was beyond the reach of man’s mind, incomprehensible and invisible, he made himself visible, intelligible and knowable so that those who see and accept him may possess life.”</i><br /><i>- St Irenaeus</i></div> <p>Matthew 9:14-17<br />Then John’s disciples came to him and said, ‘Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’ Jesus replied, ‘Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of mourning as long as the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunken cloth on to an old cloak, because the patch pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; if they do, the skins burst, the wine runs out, and the skins are lost. No; they put new wine into fresh skins and both are preserved.’</p> <p><b>CHRIST THE LORD </b></p> <p>Jesus refers to himself as the bridegroom, a title that reveals two things. First, it reiterates the Messiah’s divinity. In the Old Testament, especially in the sayings of the prophets, God frequently uses the image of betrothal to describe and comment on his relationship with the Chosen People of Israel. The covenant bond God makes, renews, and deepens with his Chosen People has the same unifying, fructifying, and enduring quality of a marriage bond. When Jesus identifies himself as the bridegroom, therefore, he is asserting that the betrothal has come to an end, and the marriage is now, in him, imminent – language reminiscent of his first preaching: “The Kingdom of heaven is at hand!” If he were merely a prophet or an anointed earthly king (like David) such claims would be out of place. He must be more. He must be the eternal God himself come to wed his beloved spouse, the new Chosen People, the Church. Second, the bridegroom image reveals the sort of love this Lord has for his people – a passionate, personal, determined love, the love that a young man in the prime of his life bears towards his beautiful young fiancée in the prime of her life. This is no philosophical God, no distant, cold watchmaker in the sky, no abstract, Aristotelian unmoved mover. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Judah loves not less than the greatest human love, but even more.</p> <p><b>CHRIST THE TEACHER </b></p> <p>The lesson of the new wine and the new cloth becomes clear only in its carefully chosen context. John the Baptist’s disciples are still committed to John, even though John himself had explained unambiguously that he was simply the messenger, while Christ was the Messiah, the Lamb of God. These disciples hadn’t been able to accept John’s message, or at least they didn’t get it. They were perplexed, and now that their leader was in prison, they were closely watching Jesus to try and figure things out. They noticed that Christ and his disciples didn’t fast (fasting was a ubiquitous penitential practice among religious folks of the time), and this seemed to prove definitively that Jesus couldn’t be the real thing. Jesus sets them straight, not by giving excuses for his behavior, but by trying to get them to see that the promise around which the Old Covenant pivoted has been fulfilled in him; it has reached completion; the building is finished, so the inelegant scaffolding can be removed.</p> <p>The New Covenant is the final, everlasting Covenant; it will not change. And yet, even so, we in the Church can still fall into this same error. In every age, the Holy Spirit raises up new saints and new apostolates to keep building up the Church and equip it to meet new onslaughts of evil. In each Christian’s life he does the same. Life is growth, and growth means change; let’s keep a stash of new wineskins close at hand.</p> <p><b>CHRIST THE FRIEND </b></p> <p>Jesus wants to come into your life because he wants you to share his joy. He calls his disciples his “wedding guests.” The Greek term literally means “children of the bridal chamber,” a phrase that referred to those special guests who were the bridegroom’s best friends, the ones who spent the week long wedding reception (the ancient Palestinian alternative to modern-day honeymoons) at his side, sharing his joy and celebrating with him. Jesus wants your friendship, and he wants it to deepen, so that the indescribable joy that overflows from his love can spill into your life and the lives of those around you. He only needs you say one thing to make it happen – but he needs you to say it over and over: “Jesus, thy will be done.”</p> <p><b>CHRIST IN MY LIFE </b></p> <p>I know, Lord, that a sad saint is a bad saint. You are a God of joy. I long for true joy, the kind that lasts even in the midst of suffering, because it is grounded in your love, a love that never tires. I believe in your love, Jesus, but I still need you to teach me how to live in its light. You are the bridegroom of my heart. Teach me the way to go; show me the path to follow…<br />Sometimes I am afraid of what you may ask me. I hesitate to follow you, like John the Baptist’s disciples. Why, Lord? Enlighten me. Your will is full of wisdom. Give me the courage to be wise…</p> <p>You guide all of history – you prepared the world for the Incarnation, and now you spread your grace slowly but surely through the work of your Church. Thank you for your presence, your forgiveness, and your grace. I want to build your Church, to be a healthy cell in the Body of Christ. Make use of me, Lord. With you I can do all things…</p> <p>Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek, LC</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-44279353726611927462009-07-28T19:36:00.001-06:002009-07-28T19:37:53.566-06:00Our Lady of Good Remedy Novena<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbxcjedT-viAuaMHLU1VTvsvc7ruXj50FPgo9NfZ_aAHbhB1wj5eA8wh5LMk_BNTL2J5VTTCIM_nKLdpLBTKVcReKQFeaNDcgJH3mg16f3Bc1jmJ_jbdqGxFh-a3WAr8mSEv4SOiY4QI/s1600-h/our+lady+of+good+remedy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbxcjedT-viAuaMHLU1VTvsvc7ruXj50FPgo9NfZ_aAHbhB1wj5eA8wh5LMk_BNTL2J5VTTCIM_nKLdpLBTKVcReKQFeaNDcgJH3mg16f3Bc1jmJ_jbdqGxFh-a3WAr8mSEv4SOiY4QI/s200/our+lady+of+good+remedy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363690189333820338" border="0" /></a><b>History</b> <p>800 years ago Christians were being captured and sold into slavery by the thousands, and nobody knew what to do about it. Then, in the year 1198, a man had an idea. St. John of Matha founded the Trinitarians to go to the slave markets, buy the Christian slaves and set them free. To carry out this plan, the Trinitarians needed large amounts of money. So, they placed their fund-raising efforts under the patronage of Mary. They were so successful at that, over the centuries, the Trinitarians were able to free thousands and thousands of people and to return them safely home. In gratitude for her miraculous assistance, St. John of Matha honored Mary with the title of "Our Lady of Good Remedy." Devotion to Mary under this ancient title is widely known in Europe and Latin America, and the Church celebrates her feast day on October 8. Our Lady of Good Remedy is often depicted as the Virgin Mary handing a bag of money to St. John of Matha. When in need - for whatever reason, but especially where you have had difficulty obtaining help - invoke the aid of Our Lady of Good Remedy, and you will surely experience the power of her intercession.</p> <p><b>Prayer</b></p> <p>O QUEEN OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, Most Holy Virgin, we venerate thee. Thou art the beloved Daughter of the Most High God, the chosen Mother of the Incarnate Word, the Immaculate Spouse of the Holy Spirit, the Sacred Vessel of the Most Holy Trinity.</p> <p>O Mother of the Divine Redeemer, who under the title of Our Lady of Good Remedy comes to the aid of all who call upon thee, extend thy maternal protection to us. We depend on thee, dear Mother, as helpless and needy children depend on a tender and caring mother.</p> <p style="text-align: left;" mce_style="text-align: left;">Hail, Mary....</p> <p>O LADY OF GOOD REMEDY, source of unfailing help, grant that we may draw from thy treasury of graces in our time of need. Touch the hearts of sinners, that they may seek reconciliation and forgiveness. Bring comfort to the afflicted and the lonely; help the poor and the hopeless; aid the sick and the suffering. May they be healed in body and strengthened in spirit to endure their sufferings with patient resignation and Christian fortitude.</p> <p>Hail, Mary....</p> <p>DEAR LADY OF GOOD REMEDY, source of unfailing help, thy compassionate heart knows a remedy for every affliction and misery we encounter in life. Help me with thy prayers and intercession to find a remedy for my problems and needs, especially for... (Indicate your special intentions here).</p> <p>On my part, O loving Mother, I pledge myself to a more intensely Christian lifestyle, to a more careful observance of the laws of God, to be more conscientious in fulfilling the obligations of my state in life, and to strive to be a source of healing in this broken world of ours.</p> <p>Dear Lady of Good Remedy, be ever present to me, and through thy intercession, may I enjoy health of body and peace of mind, and grow stronger in the faith and in the love of thy Son, Jesus</p> <p>Hail, Mary.....</p> <p>V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of Good Remedy,</p> <p>R. That we may deepen our dedication to thy Son, and make the world alive with His Spirit.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-34709430102646222552009-07-27T04:00:00.001-06:002010-04-24T16:28:56.931-06:00- Does the Holy Spirit work with those outside of the Church?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxA9rQXHf_jyr_BOQvhoBTNo-eNTteLwXTf6U7Sgqb1ojt9UiNRO6heyfyS6pY-omz1PDsWwmkmyWC0lXrAESapgN9wEl962aVnjvoo7ZFfzE_LwPNIOQASTH_aXPXw9fcbsq5jwohZbU/s1600-h/HolySpirit-with-Trinity.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxA9rQXHf_jyr_BOQvhoBTNo-eNTteLwXTf6U7Sgqb1ojt9UiNRO6heyfyS6pY-omz1PDsWwmkmyWC0lXrAESapgN9wEl962aVnjvoo7ZFfzE_LwPNIOQASTH_aXPXw9fcbsq5jwohZbU/s200/HolySpirit-with-Trinity.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362924423204666546" border="0" /></a><b>Q: I thought I understood, more or less, how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. But in a recent faith sharing group, a question came up that made me wonder. Someone asked if the Holy Spirit would or would not be with un-baptized persons if they ask Holy Spirit to dwell in them or to give them fortitude in a difficult situation. This came up while we were discussing how God's grace can touch the lives of those who have never even heard of Jesus. I was hoping you could shed some light on this for me.</b> <p>A: I am glad you asked this question. It reminds us that the vast treasure of theological reflection that our Church has accumulated through the centuries isn’t just irrelevant abstraction. It has grown up organically, in order to help us understand better and better how God works, so that we can cooperate with him more and more effectively.</p> <p>In the first place, remember that God is not limited to working through the sacraments. Therefore, he can make saints without them if he so pleases; he can pour his grace into souls however and whenever he sees fit. At the same time, however, he himself established the sacraments as the normal, ordinary way to communicate his grace. For us to belittle them or treat them as optional, therefore, is presumptuous. He established them because in his wisdom he knows that human nature always experiences and expresses spiritual realities through material realities. And so, something real changes in our souls at baptism: God comes to dwell in us, adopts us, and actually alters (elevates) our souls at a deep, ontological level. In other words, it is not indifferent whether or not someone gets baptized.</p> <p><b>“Types” of Baptism</b></p> <p>The Church has long pointed out, however, that this grace of baptism can come in three ways: through the validly administered sacrament of baptism; through baptism by blood; and baptism of desire.</p> <ul><li><b>Baptism of blood</b> refers to the martyrdom of someone who dies for the Christian faith before actually receiving the sacrament of baptism. In this case, the effects of martyrdom include some of the effects of baptism: the complete remission of sin and the privilege of immediate entrance into heaven. This concept of baptism of blood came into focus during the first centuries of the Church’s existence. During the many waves of Roman persecution, men and women who were still only catechumens (receiving instruction in the faith and preparing for baptism), and pagans who suddenly converted to the faith (for example, upon seeing the heroic courage of a martyr) were often executed along with baptized Christians.</li></ul> <ul><li><b>Baptism of desire</b> is a bit different, a bit more mysterious. It too is the equivalent of sacramental baptism, and therefore sufficient for obtaining the state of grace and the promise of salvation. Yet the circumstances by which it comes to pass or known only to God. Here’s how the Second Vatican Council explained it: "Those who through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do His will as they know it through the dictate of their conscience – those too may achieve eternal salvation" (Constitution on the Church, I, 16).</li></ul> <p>As you can see, we simply cannot fathom all the wonderful ways in which God works in the souls of us sinners. God's action is so rich!</p> <p><b>The “Types” of Grace</b></p> <p>As regards your specific question, about someone who is not baptized asking for help from the Holy Spirit, it may be useful to recall the different types of grace.</p> <ul><li>There is <b>sanctifying grace</b> (the state of being in friendship with Christ, of being an adopted child of God, of having been redeemed from original sin). This is introduced into our lives at baptism, and it is increased, or deepened, through prayer, fidelity to God's will, and the other sacraments.</li></ul> <ul><li>There is also <b>sacramental grace</b>, a specific strengthening or benefit unique to each sacrament. For example, the sacramental grace of confession is the forgiveness of personal sins and the strengthening of our will towards future fidelity. The sacramental grace of marriage is the marriage bond which helps both spouses grow in communion with God through living their communion with each other, etc.</li></ul> <ul><li>Then there is what is commonly referred to as <b>actual grace</b>. This is a boost of supernatural help that comes to assist us in a specific situation. When we talk about "graces," this is usually what we mean – a light from the Holy Spirit, an added dose of patience when I really needed it... These actual graces are distinct from sanctifying grace. So, when non-baptized persons, who probably don’t have sanctifying grace, ask for help from the Holy Spirit, they are asking for this kind of grace, actual grace. And God is always ready to give actual graces, even when we don't ask, to draw us closer to him.</li></ul> <p>These distinctions may seem persnickety. But let’s not lose sight of the forest for the trees. Reflecting on the many ways in which God reaches out to us and stays involved in our lives reminds of the most important thing: that he is our Father, passionately interested in the smallest details of our little, limited world.</p> <p>Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek, LC</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-51104361759837939052009-07-23T06:30:00.002-06:002009-07-23T06:33:02.068-06:0026. GETTING UP TO GO (MT 9:9-13)<div style="text-align: right;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidE0Vmv8av_Y1gtqed3I8dko3i5FvqPESvxri8ntmATf8Ro0o-_Sj4q7MaPRUYgVwc2dUuQJNeZSdFwTQpLdjd45nvVcuyieSK97_QyJjYZ0KW4oDggsdNAjQMR8DI-wbevcwq55d_wR4/s1600-h/theBetterPartCoversmall.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidE0Vmv8av_Y1gtqed3I8dko3i5FvqPESvxri8ntmATf8Ro0o-_Sj4q7MaPRUYgVwc2dUuQJNeZSdFwTQpLdjd45nvVcuyieSK97_QyJjYZ0KW4oDggsdNAjQMR8DI-wbevcwq55d_wR4/s200/theBetterPartCoversmall.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361632561969066210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">“We open the door at the sound of his voice to receive him, when we freely assent to his promptings, whether secret or open, and when we do what we know we should do. He enters, then, to eat with us and we with him, since he lives in the hearts of his elect by the gift of love.”</span><br /></div><p style="text-align: right;"><i>- St Bede the Venerable</i></p><p>Matthew 9:9-13<br />As Jesus was walking on from there he saw a man named Matthew sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him. While he was at dinner in the house it happened that a number of tax collectors and sinners came to sit at the table with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When he heard this he replied, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. And indeed I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’<br /></p><p><b>CHRIST THE LORD </b></p><p>Jesus Christ makes more “I” statements than any other of the world’s great religious figures, and we shouldn’t overlook this. Buddha pointed to the Four Noble Truths, Mohammad to the words he received from Allah, and even Moses drew his people’s attention to their covenant with God and the Ten Commandments, but Jesus Christ never tires of calling men to himself: “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6); “I am the vine” (John 15:5); “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12); and in this passage: “Follow me… I came to call sinners.” Jesus Christ himself is the cornerstone (cf. Acts 4:11), the one foundation upon which the house of our salvation is built (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:11).<br /></p><p><b>CHRIST THE TEACHER </b></p><p>We do not know the background to this dramatic encounter between St Matthew and Jesus Christ. Perhaps Matthew had been following Christ at a distance for some time; perhaps they had known each other for years and only now did Christ call him to closer discipleship; perhaps they had never met before and Christ simply knew at first sight that this man was meant to be one of the Twelve. We do know, however, that Christ really knew Matthew, and that the innocuous phrase “and he got up and followed him” implies a full-scale revolution in Matthew’s life. Leaving behind his lucrative and secure (albeit unpopular) position of collecting taxes for Palestine’s foreign oppressors required taking a risk, to say the least. It required putting more faith in an itinerant carpenter from Galilee than in money, power, and all the pleasures they can offer. Why did Matthew do it? What gave him the courage to forsake the wide and smooth road of the world for the narrow and steep way of Christ?<br /></p><p>Christ tells us – he wants us to know so that we can do the same: Matthew recognized and admitted his need for God. “Those who are well do not need a physician… I came to call sinners…” In Christ, God “never ceases to call every man to seek him, so as to find life and happiness” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 30), but only those who admit their need can hear his voice. The Pharisees rejected Christ, because they did not believe they needed him; the Law and their own efforts were sufficient, they thought. Matthew (and his fellow sinners) followed him, because Matthew knew that something was missing from his life, and the look of love and power that he saw in Christ’s eyes while he sat tallying coins in the market square gave him hope that in Christ he would find it.<br /></p><p><b>CHRIST THE FRIEND </b></p><p>Christ never let Matthew down in their friendship, and Matthew followed him to the point of giving his life in the name of Jesus. By leaving everything, Matthew experienced what all true Christians experience, over and over again: in letting Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, because he takes nothing away and gives everything.<br /></p><p>When Christ calls someone to follow him, it is a dramatic event, a real encounter, face-to-face, eye-to-eye, heart-to-heart. Christianity is no abstract philosophy or aloof ideology, but a drama, a “covenant drama,” as the Church calls it (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2567), which addresses every man and woman at the core of their existence as a living, thinking, searching human being. Christianity is communion with God through friendship with Christ – nothing more, but nothing less.<br /></p><p><b>CHRIST IN MY LIFE </b> </p><p>I have heard your call in my life; I have recognized you looking me in the eye and inviting me. Let me relive these experiences and thank you for them... Jesus, you call me to follow you because you know me and love me. Only in heaven will I find out how much. I still want to follow you. Keep calling me; you know how hard it is for me to hear your voice amid the jingle of coins...<br /></p><p>I sometimes take you for granted. I forget that in the Eucharist, in the priest, and in the Church, you, the very God who created the universe, the only Savior from sin, the perfectly wise and infinitely good Lord are always with me and reaching out to me. Remind me, Lord. Never let me forget. Use me to bring this good news to those around me. I believe in you; help my weak faith…<br />Jesus, never let me be ashamed to admit my sin. You know me better than I know myself. You invite me to open my heart to you through the channels you have given me, through confession, through the guidance you wish to give me in your representatives. I trust in you, Lord. Nothing can stop you from loving me…</p>Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek, LCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-6770301334328781012009-07-21T03:20:00.003-06:002010-04-24T16:29:28.854-06:00- Understanding and overcoming scrupulosity - Part II<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdS-Z2FEF_edyJfwNe7AsleSPnlNNiO8sjf_T50WDY9WcCnyILjVqHNVfzkMq0fF_ux7BneZLevTA8vH8wpq3cjavTPiB0AmHuqtrqaZDev_1utJ83Fp8OHlA_lri4O07G-ADvQsg_dek/s1600-h/Alphonsus+Liguori.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdS-Z2FEF_edyJfwNe7AsleSPnlNNiO8sjf_T50WDY9WcCnyILjVqHNVfzkMq0fF_ux7BneZLevTA8vH8wpq3cjavTPiB0AmHuqtrqaZDev_1utJ83Fp8OHlA_lri4O07G-ADvQsg_dek/s200/Alphonsus+Liguori.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360844843832510738" border="0" /></a><b>Q: Father John, I seem to be struggling with scrupulosity. However, when I read St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, they exhort that any small sin or attachment can keep us from union with God. How do I know if I am scrupulous or just sensitive to sin? How do I avoid taking sin too lightly? If I am scrupulous, how do I overcome it?</b><br /><br />A: The word “scrupulous” comes from a Latin word meaning “pebble.” Like a scale that registers the weight of even the tiniest pebble, the scrupulous conscience is thrown into doubts about its love for God and fidelity to God’s will by tiny faults or questions that, objectively, should not disturb its peace. Scrupulous people feel intense anxiety after confession: “Did I confess everything? Did I confess sincerely? Did I explain everything sufficiently?” They also often feel debilitating anxiety about whether or not they are truly in the state of grace, and whether they should receive communion (when we sincerely doubt whether we are in the state of grace, we should make as sincere an act of contrition as we can, and then receive holy Communion). As we explained in the last post, this condition of over-sensitivity can cause great interior suffering.<br /><br />Whether scruples arise from a combination of personality and circumstance, or whether they are more developed and a true trial allowed by God and sent by the devil, the direct remedy is the same. It consists of practicing the virtue of obedience. This is simpler for those in the religious life than in the lay life. Nevertheless, the principle is the same. Scrupulosity is like a temporary darkening of the conscience; one’s interior compass has gone haywire and you can’t tell what direction you are going in. The only way out is to let oneself be guided by an objective party, a confessor or a spiritual director who knows how to listen, is experienced in the spiritual life and in guiding others, and whom you can trust solidly. If you don’t have a regular confessor or spiritual director, but you find yourself suffering from scruples, that should be a good motivation to ask God to help you find one, then go looking.<br /><p><b>The Task of Obedience</b><br />When you explain the situation to your director, explain fully why you think you suffering from scruples. The director will listen to the description of your situation, ask some questions, and restate what you have said in such a way that they show they have understood clearly. They may either confirm your suspicion that this is indeed a case of scruples, or they may offer another explanation – a misunderstanding about the difference between venial and mortal sin, a misunderstanding about the nature of a particular sin, another psychological factor… In either case, the key step for you is to obey. Trust that God will use your director to guide you, as he has used directors to guide all the saints. Your director will probably give you some very specific and firm points of work and instruct you to report on them. For instance, as regards the sacrament of reconciliation, he may instruct you to confess specifically only your mortal sins, and to confess all your venial sins together, as a group. He may instruct you to absolutely discard any doubts about whether you have sinned, practically ordering you to admit as sin only those actions where you have absolute, mathematical certitude. He may instruct you, even without giving reasons (scruples can blind our capacity to reason clearly), never to confess again past sins that you have already confessed. He may even tell you that if you do not trust him enough to obey, he will help you find another spiritual director whom you can trust. These kinds of instructions may be hard for you to fulfill, but fulfill them you must, if you want to make your way though the dark valley of scrupulosity and emerge back into the interior peace of a healthy, balanced conscience.<br /><br />The very nature of the cure, firm and faith-guided obedience to a trustworthy confessor or spiritual director, shows why God at times permits his children (us) to suffer this painful trial: it is an excellent workout for the virtue of humility, and it is a sure way to purify us from hidden attachments.<br /><br />In our day and age, a lax and lazy conscience is more often met than a scrupulous one. In either case, however, the first sign that we are deviating from the true path of moral and spiritual growth is usually inner turbulence. Our God is a God of peace, and his peace goes deep. When we lose it, that may be because we are trying to paddle through the shallow muskeg of an apparent shortcut.</p><p>Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-15950275294541410222009-07-16T04:00:00.000-06:002009-07-16T04:00:05.810-06:00Abandonment XVI - The Hidden Work of Divine Love<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihlmuWlX6a73OeEqAKrOQUGiZY4HKpDuTj7RNTPEkp0H0oaq78lrks_VIAzwJdNdhN9SBbXccrIg_ql0kj5N-q2jXNwLcKFhFDmCfGj6nM55CeS7Kl5yaEt7ZuDs7ar8RP9c6lNpQVaM/s1600-h/s_+caterina+da+siena+3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 139px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihlmuWlX6a73OeEqAKrOQUGiZY4HKpDuTj7RNTPEkp0H0oaq78lrks_VIAzwJdNdhN9SBbXccrIg_ql0kj5N-q2jXNwLcKFhFDmCfGj6nM55CeS7Kl5yaEt7ZuDs7ar8RP9c6lNpQVaM/s200/s_+caterina+da+siena+3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357240680484304722" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-size:13px;"><p>What great truths are hidden from the eyes even of Christians who think themselves most enlightened! How few among them understand that every cross, every circumstance, every leading of the will of God gives us God Himself in a way that can best be explained by comparing them with the most august Mystery of all, the Holy Eucharist.</p><p>Yet what is more certain? Does not reason as well as faith reveal to us the presence of divine love in all creatures, and in all the events of life, just as indisputably as the words of Jesus Christ and of the Church reveal the presence of the sacred flesh of our Savior under the Eucharistic elements? Do we not know that by all created things, and by every event God's love desires to unite itself to us, that He has ordained, arranged, or permitted everything that concerns us, everything that happens to us, with a view to this union? This is the sole end of all His designs. To attain this He uses the worst as well as the best of His creatures, the most distressing events as well as those which are pleasant and agreeable, and the more naturally repellant the means of that union, the more meritorious it becomes.</p><p>If this is true, why should not each moment of our lives become a form of communion with the love of God? And why should not this communion of every moment produce as much fruit in our souls as that which we receive in the Communion of the Body and Blood of the Son of God? The holy Eucharist, it is true, has a sacramental efficacy which the "sacrament of the present moment" cannot have, but on the other hand, how much more frequently can this form of communion be repeated! And how greatly may its value be increased by the growing perfection of our dispositions towards it! Consequently, how true it is that the more holy the life, the more mysterious it becomes by its apparent simplicity and lowliness!</p><p>O heavenly banquet! O never-ending feast! God ever given and received in utter infirmity, weakness and nothingness! That which human nature abhors and human reason rejects, God chooses and makes into mysteries, sacraments of love, and by that which seems as if it would do most harm to souls, He gives Himself to them as often and as much as they desire to possess Him.</p><p>Father Jean-Pierre de Caussade - <span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://www.paracletepress.com/the-joy-of-full-surrender.html" mce_href="http://www.paracletepress.com/the-joy-of-full-surrender.html" target="_blank">Purchase </a></span><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://www.paracletepress.com/the-joy-of-full-surrender.html" mce_href="http://www.paracletepress.com/the-joy-of-full-surrender.html" target="_blank">The Joy of Full Surrender</a></span></p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-63656091796396276952009-07-15T04:00:00.000-06:002009-07-15T04:00:06.707-06:0025. Forgiving for Real (Mt 9:1-8)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcl8w8XotWEttfIDDp_jiKWJU1gmPUcZMA5GpDeyfjoyzkx-IOMgudkWdUgVClLccoGs8Gsgcp7E2t4D_eEyiR1C6fdYpRQc9cH_KIoz6hLtWf7Fy1KXLPJZp9jEyLK51uqahKXtws4Q/s1600-h/theBetterPartCoversmall.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcl8w8XotWEttfIDDp_jiKWJU1gmPUcZMA5GpDeyfjoyzkx-IOMgudkWdUgVClLccoGs8Gsgcp7E2t4D_eEyiR1C6fdYpRQc9cH_KIoz6hLtWf7Fy1KXLPJZp9jEyLK51uqahKXtws4Q/s200/theBetterPartCoversmall.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357235273402018306" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Times;"><div style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font: normal normal normal 13px/19px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; padding-top: 0.6em; padding-right: 0.6em; padding-bottom: 0.6em; padding-left: 0.6em; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-position: initial initial; "><p mce_style="text-align: right;" style="text-align: right; "><span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">“We ought to pity and love our enemies rather than hate and detest them, for they heap up evils on themselves but deserve well of us; they provoke God’s anger against themselves, but adorn us with the crown of eternal glory. We ought to pray for them; we should not be overcome by evil.”<br /></span></p><p mce_style="text-align: right;" style="text-align: right; "><span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">- St Antony Mary Zaccaria</span></p><p>Matthew 9:1-8</p><p>He got back in the boat, crossed the water and came to his own town. Then some people appeared, bringing him a paralytic stretched out on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, my child, your sins are forgiven’. And at this some scribes said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming’. Knowing what was in their minds Jesus said, ‘Why do you have such wicked thoughts in your hearts? Now, which of these is easier to say, Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Get up and walk? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ – he said to the paralytic – ‘get up, and pick up your bed and go off home’. And the man got up and went home. A feeling of awe came over the crowd when they saw this, and they praised God for giving such power to men.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Christ the Lord </span></p><p>Jesus has just exhibited his power over the effects of sin (sickness, natural adversity) and the instigator of evil (the devil). Now St Matthew completes the grand slam by showing how Jesus absolves us from sin itself.</p><p>The other miracles could be taken as signs that Jesus is merely a great prophet, but by forgiving sins Christ leaves no room to doubt that he claims to be much more. In the Old Covenant, only God could forgive sins, because every sin was a rebellion against God, a conscious refusal to adhere to the truth of life’s purpose as established by God. Furthermore, in the Old Covenant, this forgiveness could only be obtained through the ritual sacrifices in the Temple stipulated by the Mosaic Law.</p><p>When the paralytic comes before Jesus to be healed, the Lord goes to the root of the man’s true need and assures him that his sins are forgiven. The Jewish scholars observing the encounter are immediately suspicious of such a divine claim being made so unceremoniously by an upstart rabbi. Jesus acknowledges (but doesn’t validate) their suspicion, and then performs the miracle to show that instead of being blasphemous, his claim is true. He can’t make the actual forgiveness of sins visible, but he can make the paralytic walk, which certainly shows that he can do what he says – more than enough proof to allay their doubts.</p><p>Once again, Christ shows that he is much more than a wise philosopher; he is Emmanuel, God among us - the Lord of life and history.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Christ the Teacher </span></p><p>St. Matthew points out that Jesus saw the faith of the people who brought the sick man to Jesus, not the paralyzed man’s faith, and <span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">this</span>triggered Christ’s saving action. The paralyzed man was unable to come to Jesus on his own power. Others brought him to the Lord, and the Lord honored their selfless, faith-filled deed. How many people whose souls are paralyzed by sin and doubt need the prayers and charity of faith-filled Christians to bring them into contact with Christ’s saving grace!</p><p>St Matthew also subtly explains why the Jewish leaders didn’t recognize Christ as the Messiah (notice that it is precisely here, at the crescendo of the series of miracles, where the opposition between those leaders and Jesus begins). They had already formed an idea of what the Messiah would be, and they left no room for God to outdo their expectations by coming himself. They had closed their minds; they were attached to their own ideas, their own standards, their own limited understanding – they thought they had God all figured out. It is a common failure among people who seem to be experts in religion. They think they know it all, and they end up missing God’s most wonderful surprises. But the humble folk who recognized their own limitations and God’s greatness were open to the awe-inspiring glory of Christ. The arrogant scribes went home angry and unhappy; the humble crowed went home rejoicing.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Christ the Friend</span></p><p>Jesus calls the sick man “my child,” and then happily and generously relieves the greatest burden of his life – the gnawing guilt of his violated conscience.</p><p>How glad Christ is to welcome us into his family! How eager he is to forgive us, to renew us, to enlighten and strengthen our anxious and tired souls! All we have to do is come to him with faith and admit our needs, our helplessness, our sins. The Tabernacle, an ongoing appointment that Christ never misses; the confessional, a failsafe loving embrace and perpetual fresh start; the Gospels, a fountain of truth and grace that flows without respite – a Christian can find peace of heart wherever he turns, if only he doesn’t turn away from Christ.</p><p>Jesus: <span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">Come to me and I will heal you, I will set you free. Come to me in the Tabernacle, in all my sacraments, in the inspired word of the Bible! Come to me when you are filled with joy, as well as when you are crushed with troubles! When you turn to me in your weakness and acknowledge in all humility your need, then my mercy can make you walk once more, can make your heart resound with true peace and joy. Let me reach into the deepest recesses of your soul, bringing light to the hidden crevices carved by sin.</span></p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Christ in My Life </span></p><p>The world is full of so many promises, Lord. So many gurus and life coaches and therapists promise to show the way to peace and wholeness. But can they forgive sins? Only you can reach into the depths of my soul; only you can see even deeper than I can; only you can heal me and cleanse me and give me a new start. Thank you, Lord, for coming to forgive my sins and for giving me a new start, as often as I need one…</p><p>Certainly you have more that you want to do in me and through me. I don’t want to hinder you by stubbornly sticking to my own desires and plans if you are leading me along new paths. Your will, Lord, is beyond my comprehension; your plan is greater than I can imagine. Guide me, as you have promised to do, in spite of my selfishness and arrogance. Teach me to be humble, so I can be filled with awe and joy in the face of your wonderful deeds…</p><p>What do I enjoy most and value most about being a Christian and a member of your Church? So many things, Lord. Let me savor them… Thank you for those gifts, Lord. I know that your love for me is as vast as the heavens, though at times it’s hard for me to accept. I want to use your gifts and rejoice in them. Teach me, Lord, to do your will…</p><p>Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek, LC</p><p><span><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">To learn more, or purchase “The Better Part – A Christ Centered Resource for Personal Prayer,” click </span></span><span><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://circlepress.org/shop/index.php?p=product&id=34&parent=7">HERE</a></span></span><span><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">.</span></span></p></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-33879571800490742962009-07-13T04:00:00.001-06:002010-04-24T16:29:47.660-06:00- Understanding and overcoming scrupulosity - Part I<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBKuID8beBH3aooBhRDpc_8QPPqVPn1smTzGxCbay5bxN-W9IVGQwGatWqc2667AHIQ-P0x5KqUGjrs4M0U1VI_ws35HVoZxomLQkbgBbEMrFVIygfYT-3tFrdye_ephbog6HhEaN1Bc/s1600-h/Alphonsus+Liguori.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBKuID8beBH3aooBhRDpc_8QPPqVPn1smTzGxCbay5bxN-W9IVGQwGatWqc2667AHIQ-P0x5KqUGjrs4M0U1VI_ws35HVoZxomLQkbgBbEMrFVIygfYT-3tFrdye_ephbog6HhEaN1Bc/s200/Alphonsus+Liguori.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357229413477818658" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;font-size:13px;" ><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Q: Father John, I seem to be struggling with scrupulosity. However, when I read St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, they exhort that any small sin or attachment can keep us from union with God. How do I know if I am scrupulous or just sensitive to sin? How do I avoid taking sin too lightly? If I am scrupulous, how do I overcome it?</span></p><p>A: First thing: if you are sincerely concerned about not taking sin too lightly, you can rest assured that you are not taking sin too lightly. If, on the other hand, you find yourself convinced that you really don’t sin and don’t ever need to go to confession, then you are probably taking sin too lightly. All the saints were keenly aware that they were sinners and made good use of the sacrament of confession. Now on to the heart of your question.</p><p>Scrupulosity is oversensitivity to faults. It consists in seeing sin where there is no sin, which causes us to become emotionally tense and spiritually tied up in knots. It paralyzes the will, fills the mind with turbulence, and can cause intense interior suffering. Since it comes in different forms and from different sources (and since the word itself is slippery), there is no single solution. We’ll tackle this one in two parts. First we’ll look at the types and causes of scrupulosity, then we’ll examine the practical question of what to do about it.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Sin Matters</span></p><p>Sin is disobedience to God’s express will. It is a rebellion against God, a breaking of the eternal law. As such, it offends God (just as teenagers who insult their parents offend their parents). As a result, it disrupts, weakens, or ruptures our friendship with God. And since friendship with God is the whole purpose of our existence, sin is our arch-enemy, the source of all unhappiness and tragedy.</p><p>Today’s culture tends to minimize and belittle sin. What matters to a hedonistic, relativistic consumer society is comfort and personal autonomy. Where does sin fit into an ethos like that? There is no eternal law to break, no universal moral order against which to rebel, no Father to offend. This poisonous ethos has a powerful ally inside each one of us: our fallen human nature. We have an enemy within. We tend towards self-centeredness (to which any parent of a two-year-old will eloquently attest). This is why most spiritual directors would agree that a scrupulous conscience is less common than its co-conspirator, a lax conscience.</p><p>The essential evil of sin explains why St Teresa and St John of the Cross so fervently exhort us to mercilessly excise every sinful habit and tame every wild tendency. We must give no quarter to sin and make no compromise with temptation – just ask Eve. Sometimes the term scrupulous or scruples is used by folks who have made a pact with certain personal sins in order to criticize other folks who have refused to make treaties with the devil. Their conscience is bothering them, and the presence of people more upright than themselves exacerbates the bother, so they use the label “scrupulous” as a shield.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Personality-Based Scrupulosity</span></p><p>Scrupulosity understood properly, however, is an authentic spiritual difficulty. It comes most often in two forms. The first is related to certain personalities. Whether by temperament, upbringing, or a combination, some people have a strong tendency towards perfectionism. When they begin taking seriously the adventure of holiness, this tendency can help, usually by energizing their efforts and giving them staying power in the face of difficulties. But the same tendency can tangle things up. God works patiently; perfectionist tend to be impatient. This impatience can take the guise of paralyzing discouragement or even desperation in the face of one’s imperfections. Keenly aware of their shortcomings, these personalities often equate holiness with impeccability – they can start straining out gnats while they still need to stop swallowing camels. </p><p>An interior flash of self-centered anger or impatience, for example, is rightly recognized as a fault – it flows from the selfish tendencies in the soul, tendencies which are un-Christlike and need to be purified. But God is less interested in the selfish flash itself than in how we react to such things. As soon as we recognize it, we should reign it in, like a dog that wants to run out of its leash. Exerting our faith and willpower to keep that selfish flesh from turning into self-righteous judgments, wounding words, or spiteful actions – that’s what should concern us. If we think we have already sinned just because the flash flashed, we are being scrupulous. Our sinful tendencies are not sins; they can be the source of sins, if we let them. But if, with God’s grace, we fight against them, the powers of our soul will gradually be trained to react less violently and less selfishly. In that way, we grow in virtue.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Turmoil and Temptation</span></p><p>The second form of scrupulosity comes from the devil in the form of a temptation. In this spiritual attack, the person who is sincerely seeking holiness and has made progress towards it is suddenly confronted with doubts about what God’s will really is for them. If sin can be understood as rebellious disobedience to God’s will, holiness is its contrary: loving obedience to God’s will. But what if you start seeing God’s will everywhere? What if you start thinking that choosing which outfit to wear has as much moral and spiritual weight as obeying the commandment against murder? Well, you think to yourself, what I wear does matter to God – he wants me to reflect his dignity, but he also wants me to avoid ostentation and provocation. So what is his will for me? Which outfit should I wear?... These kind of doubts can also come in even more subtle forms. We experience a flash of interior anger; we govern it as Christ would have us; all is well. But then, we start wondering why the flash happened in the first place. Did I encourage it without realizing it? Did I allow a selfish thought to take root in my mind, and the thought bore the fruit of that flash? Am I doing something to displease God that I don’t even realize?... And we find ourselves in a labyrinth of doubts and “what ifs” and “maybes” that really torture the soul and won’t leave it in peace. It is a trial, and it can be severe, that many saints have undergone.</p><p>Sometimes this second kind of scrupulosity can also derive from psychological conditions that are clinically treatable, chemical imbalances or wounds from trauma. It is not always easy to tell the difference. Usually it takes looking at other factors and behavior patterns in a person’s life, not just the scrupulosity itself.</p><p>Those are the common manifestations of scrupulosity, or over-sensitivity to faults. More could be said about each one, but that’s enough to lay the groundwork for the next post, which will examine some tactics for dealing with scrupulosity in practice.</p><p>Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek, LC</p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-7139239327524044682009-07-08T07:08:00.003-06:002009-07-08T07:14:37.858-06:0024. Evil at Bay (Mt 8:28-34)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_iq4_vbsTebXYfMdOC1fdTs_ak1M16eTry0pymKqLFyNIDHW2uhQlySv2O_pvOSAl-rzhk_Vo73sIWZr3lmqxvxqZLOTk-dWAgEtvHFTjl6rXdCdB-Llr3zGdl_9xcQMExhuL5oRH2U/s1600-h/theBetterPartCoversmall.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_iq4_vbsTebXYfMdOC1fdTs_ak1M16eTry0pymKqLFyNIDHW2uhQlySv2O_pvOSAl-rzhk_Vo73sIWZr3lmqxvxqZLOTk-dWAgEtvHFTjl6rXdCdB-Llr3zGdl_9xcQMExhuL5oRH2U/s200/theBetterPartCoversmall.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356075867924311922" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Times;"><div style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font: normal normal normal 13px/19px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; padding-top: 0.6em; padding-right: 0.6em; padding-bottom: 0.6em; padding-left: 0.6em; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-position: initial initial; "><p mce_style="text-align: right;" style="text-align: right; "><span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">“And therefore the Word of God, God, the Son of God, who in the beginning was with God and through whom all things were made and without whom was not anything made, became man to liberate man from eternal death.”</span></p><p mce_style="text-align: right;" style="text-align: right; ">- Pope St Leo the Great</p><p>Matthew 8:28-34</p><p>When he reached the country of the Gadarenes on the other side, two demoniacs came towards him out of the tombs – creatures so fierce that no one could pass that way. They stood there shouting, ‘What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the time?’ Now some distance away there was a large herd of pigs feeding, and the devils pleaded with Jesus, ‘If you cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs’. And he said to them, ‘Go then’, and they came out and made for the pigs; and at that the whole herd charged down the cliff into the lake and perished in the water. The swineherds ran off and made for the town, where they told the whole story, including what had happened to the demoniacs. At this the whole town set out to meet Jesus; and as soon as they saw him they implored him to leave the neighbourhood.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Christ the Lord </span></p><p>St. Matthew’s presentation of Christ’s credentials continues. He has shown his mastery over sickness of every kind and over the powerful forces of the natural world, so antagonistic to mankind after original sin. Now Jesus unfurls his lordship over the very source of evil in the world, the devil and his minions.</p><p>The demons recognize Jesus as the Messiah and even try to reproach him for interfering with their evil conquests. Their comment about “before the time” refers to the final judgment, when history’s ongoing battle between good and evil will come to its definitive end. But their hideous and violent outbursts, so fearsome that no one even dared to travel that road, failed to daunt Jesus in the least. His mere presence tortures them. They grovel before him and beg for a smattering of clemency. He grants it, and at the same time, with merely a word, he releases these two men from their seemingly hopeless slavery.</p><p>This show of spiritual force sends shock waves through the entire town. The whole population recognizes the superior power of Jesus, but they don’t know what to make of it. Gadara was a Gentile town; its inhabitants didn’t have the benefit of the Jewish faith. They only realize that this man’s continued presence will disrupt their usual routine, even more than the demons’ presence did. They fear the disruption and ask Jesus to leave them in peace. Knowing that they are not ready for his message, Jesus complies.</p><p>Nothing escapes the lordship of Christ, not sickness, not storms, not demons. But he won’t force his way into anyone’s life – he is the Lord, but he is not a tyrant.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Christ the Teacher </span></p><p>One of the major players in the Gospels is the devil. In this encounter, Jesus teaches us two things about the devil.</p><p>First, he shows unambiguously that the devil and his fellow demons really do exist. Every few decades, it becomes fashionable to reinterpret Christ’s exorcisms as merely his condescension to the superstitions of the time, in spite of the Church’s clear doctrine to the contrary. Those reinterpreters get flustered by this passage. If Jesus had simply sent the demons right back to hell, it would allow such theorists to speculate that maybe these two supposedly possessed men were just insane, and Jesus simply cured their psyches. (And while healing of their troubled psyches was indeed significant, that alone doesn’t explain how they could recognize Christ as the Son of God, but we’ll ignore that for now). But Christ sends the demons into a herd of pigs, and the demons drive the pigs over the cliff into the sea. And so, it’s much more difficult to interpret this frightening event as a mere psychological malfunction. No, the devil indeed exists.</p><p>The second lesson teaches us what the devil wants: destruction. He wants to destroy our happiness, our health, our prosperity (he threw the poor pig farmers into the red, let alone the damage he did to the two possessed men), and most of all our relationship with God. This is the single motivation behind every temptation, no matter how tempting. This seems like an obvious lesson, and yet, every time we give into temptation, we seem to forget it.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Christ the Friend</span></p><p>Without Christ, we would all still be floundering in ignorance and helplessness in the face of evil. He has come to bring us light and strength, to lead us back to full spiritual, intellectual, and moral health – and eventually, to have our very bodies share in the glory of his Resurrection. All of his words, miracles, and deeds were performed for us – for our benefit, for our salvation, and for our health in body, mind, and spirit. Jesus looks into our eyes today, just as he looked into the faces of these two demoniacs two thousand years ago; he wants to set us free. Will we let him?</p><p>The Demoniacs: Lord, we will never forget that first moment after you freed us from the power of those demons. It was too good to be true. Thank you, Lord, for setting us free. You gave us a new life, a new chance to live. Now we can see clearly that every day is a gift. Every day we can choose to live in your presence, to glorify you by loving you and loving our neighbor, by bringing the good news of your salvation to everyone around us. We were helpless before. Evil had put our minds in chains. You know what it was like, because you know all things. Still, so many of our brothers and sisters are in chains – they are looking for freedom and happiness in all the wrong places, striving for success by sin and selfishness, and getting tangled up in frustration and depression. Are you not the same Lord today that you were that day when you freed us? Come, Lord, make us channels of your saving grace, never let us forget what you did for us, never let us take this life, this new chance, this day, for granted.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Christ in My Life</span></p><p>Sometimes I am like the inhabitants of Gadara: I don’t want you to disrupt my usual routines. But in my heart I know that anything you ask of me, through my conscience, through the Church’s teachings, through circumstances – anything you ask flows directly from your infinite wisdom. Flood my life with your wisdom and your truth; cleanse my selfishness; make me shine with true virtue. Come, Lord Jesus…</p><p>When you made me your disciple, you shared your mission with me. You want to work through me to help set free people who are trapped in sin and error. Help me to keep this as a priority! I think of how much you have done for me – and you want to do that and more for everyone I encounter, especially the ones suffering most. Lord, make me a channel of your peace…</p><p>Thank you, Lord, for all your gifts to me – life, faith, hope, knowledge, forgiveness, and those special graces only you and I know about. You know I trust in you. I really do, though I am weak and careless. Lord Jesus, with you all things are possible…</p><p>Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek, LC</p><p><span><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">To learn more, or purchase “The Better Part – A Christ Centered Resource for Personal Prayer,” click </span></span><span><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://circlepress.org/shop/index.php?p=product&id=34&parent=7">HERE</a></span></span><span><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">.</span></span></p></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-76985456393596764992009-07-07T04:00:00.002-06:002010-04-24T16:49:04.676-06:00- How do I deal with isolation and loneliness - particularly in my spiritual life?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVqzpPj4b7H_u72-14vkuX19AZHJGolSlyiuxftKEgRKM4GASpdCcW7ocieTJy_N7FyBuhxJvQJ-3UPo04bSyyaJmuGE_O59tzk9MWpsGKriR2Dd5MUxkeoORamjhCy96D3w8vMcgako/s1600-h/Teresa.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 149px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVqzpPj4b7H_u72-14vkuX19AZHJGolSlyiuxftKEgRKM4GASpdCcW7ocieTJy_N7FyBuhxJvQJ-3UPo04bSyyaJmuGE_O59tzk9MWpsGKriR2Dd5MUxkeoORamjhCy96D3w8vMcgako/s200/Teresa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352186111260659954" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;font-size:13px;" ><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Q: St. Teresa, I am committed to developing my prayer life and life of virtue but I am feeling isolated, lonely, and I am struggling. What should I do?</span></p><p>A: A great evil it is for a soul to be alone in the midst of so many dangers. It seems to me that if I should have had someone to talk with (through my spiritual struggles) it would have helped me...</p><p>For this reason, I would counsel those who practice prayer to seek, at least at the beginning, friendship and association with other persons that have the same interest. This is something most important even though the association may be only to help one another with prayers. The more of these prayers there are, the greater the gain. Since friends are sought out for conversations and human attachments, even though these latter may not be good, so as to relax and better enjoy telling about vain pleasures, I don’t know why it is not <span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">more common</span> that persons beginning truly to love and to serve God talk with some others about their joys and trials, which all who practice prayer undergo. For if the friendship they desire to have with His Majesty is authentic, there is no reason to fear vainglory. And when these persons overcome vainglory in its first stirrings, they come away with merit. I believe that they who discuss these joys and trials for the sake of friendship with God will benefit themselves and those who hear them, and they will come away instructed; even without understanding how, they will have instructed their friends.</p><p>Since this spiritual friendship is so extremely important for souls not yet fortified in virtue – since they have so many opponents and friends to incite them to evil – I don’t know how to urge it enough. It seems to me the devil has used the following artifice as something very important to him: those who truly want to love and to please God are as hidden as other unrighteous persons are incited to make their evil known so evil becomes so customary it seems socially justified; and the offenses committed against God in this matter are published.</p><p>…There is so much sluggishness in matters having to do with the service of God that it is necessary for those who serve Him to become shields for one another that they might advance. For it is considered good to walk in the vanities and pleasures of the world, and those who don’t are unnoticed. If any begin to give themselves to God, there are so many to criticize them that they need to seek companionship to defend themselves until they are so strong that it is no longer a burden for them to suffer this criticism. And if they don’t seek this companionship, they will find themselves in much difficulty.</p><p>…And it is a kind of humility not to trust oneself but to believe that through those with whom one converses with God will help and increase charity while it is being shared. And there area a thousand graces I would not dare speak of if I did not have powerful experience of the benefit that comes from this sharing.</p><p>It is true that I am the weakest and most wicked of all human beings. But I believe they will not be lost who, humbling themselves, even though they be strong, do not believe by themselves but believe this one who has experience. Of myself I know and say that if the Lord had not revealed this to me and given me the means by which I could ordinarily talk with persons who practiced prayer, I, falling and rising would have ended by throwing myself straight into hell. For in falling I had many friends to help me; but in rising I found myself so alone that I am now amazed I did not remain ever fallen. And I praise the mercy of God for it was He alone who gave me His hand. May he be blessed forever and ever. Amen</p><p>St. Teresa of Avila</p><p>(<a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/index.cfm/title/St.-Teresa-of-Avila-Volume-1/FuseAction/store.ItemDetails/SKU/59456/" mce_href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/index.cfm/title/St.-Teresa-of-Avila-Volume-1/FuseAction/store.ItemDetails/SKU/59456/" target="_blank">Adapted from </a><span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/index.cfm/title/St.-Teresa-of-Avila-Volume-1/FuseAction/store.ItemDetails/SKU/59456/" mce_href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/index.cfm/title/St.-Teresa-of-Avila-Volume-1/FuseAction/store.ItemDetails/SKU/59456/" target="_blank">Life</a></span><a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/index.cfm/title/St.-Teresa-of-Avila-Volume-1/FuseAction/store.ItemDetails/SKU/59456/" mce_href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/index.cfm/title/St.-Teresa-of-Avila-Volume-1/FuseAction/store.ItemDetails/SKU/59456/" target="_blank">, Ch 7, pg 92-94, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Volume One, ICS Publications, Washington D.C. 1987</a>)</p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-86530163176549672552009-07-06T13:32:00.002-06:002010-04-24T16:50:26.940-06:00- Thank You for Your Support! – CSD Wins Catholic New Media Award!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JF6DVOUigTjVjE1vj_UYQlfpxIyhgzSxQXMPoyOy9r9ZzeVKyWh8zYqZrGUI0PQ9vDU1A4e-dkh7yp0nZzf0cnF8FwsNt1tMVgR8hCuCZk7w9bGIkyhUaJd1adH_rK6CtvwHaf76rIc/s1600-h/thank-you.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JF6DVOUigTjVjE1vj_UYQlfpxIyhgzSxQXMPoyOy9r9ZzeVKyWh8zYqZrGUI0PQ9vDU1A4e-dkh7yp0nZzf0cnF8FwsNt1tMVgR8hCuCZk7w9bGIkyhUaJd1adH_rK6CtvwHaf76rIc/s200/thank-you.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355435387696859410" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Times;"><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font: 13px/19px Georgia,'Times New Roman','Bitstream Charter',Times,serif; padding: 0.6em; margin: 0px;"><h3 style="font-size: 1.17em;">Catholic Spiritual Direction Blog - Winner of Catholic New Media Award</h3><p>We are happy to report that, with your help, Catholic Spiritual Direction has won the 2009 <a href="http://www.catholicnewmediaawards.com/" mce_href="http://www.catholicnewmediaawards.com/" target="_blank">Catholic New Media Award</a> under the category of "Most Spiritual Blog." The recognition that comes from this reward will help us to continue to spread authentic Catholic spirituality to those who desire to move deeper into the faith, and deeper into Christ.</p><p>We are grateful for your nomination, your votes, your constant flow of encouraging notes and dialogue, and for your assistance in bringing the endless depth and beauty of Christ's church to more and more around the world.</p><p>God Bless.</p><p>Seek Him - Find Him - Follow Him</p><p>Dan</p></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-81108010845593258902009-07-06T04:00:00.002-06:002010-04-24T16:52:02.331-06:00- I am struggling with the violent content of psalms – can you provide me with insight on how you deal with this?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIN9J-dMbWmE4ZD_K8Nd1RTMnlTz9P3W_Koe4EmTqqapsTBQkCa4xdRf85M3S6sZdFmEiKUGPf7huoVTrVyMtQLgB7_mHdZCsHPPaBD5KDsPNHsjridmD_kS__PTKM0VOnZbDuUKUnPrk/s1600-h/David+and+Saul.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIN9J-dMbWmE4ZD_K8Nd1RTMnlTz9P3W_Koe4EmTqqapsTBQkCa4xdRf85M3S6sZdFmEiKUGPf7huoVTrVyMtQLgB7_mHdZCsHPPaBD5KDsPNHsjridmD_kS__PTKM0VOnZbDuUKUnPrk/s200/David+and+Saul.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355149714314725618" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Times;"><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font: 13px/19px Georgia,'Times New Roman','Bitstream Charter',Times,serif; padding: 0.6em; margin: 0px;"><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Q: Lately I have started praying the Psalms, even using some of the Liturgy of the Hours. Every once in awhile, I run across sections that throw me for a loop. I mean, there are phrases like “Destroy them in your anger, destroy them till they are no more” (Psalm 59:13) and “Repay them as their deeds deserve, as befits their treacherous actions; as befits their handiwork repay them, let their deserts fall back on themselves” (Psalm 28:4). It’s hard for me to pray these prayers, when I think of what Jesus said, “Love your enemies...” I know priests pray the Psalms all the time in the breviary. How do you deal with all these condemning, violent references?</span></p><p>A: This is a great question, and I can’t promise to give a complete or completely satisfying answer. The Bible is God’s Word, his own revelation. We have to remember that it contains much more than we can fathom. It would be naïve (at best) to think that we can fully understand the eternal Lord. St. John Chrysostom likened the Bible to a gushing spring on a mountainside. It never stops flowing with clear, cool, and refreshing water, but when we go to drink, we can’t possible take it all in. We drink a minuscule amount, just enough to slake our thirst for a while. Then we go back, but that fountain keeps gushing. So let’s try to take a cup full by reflecting on your question.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Making the Case</span></p><p>First, let me up your ante. The phrases you quote are tough, but we can find even tougher ones. In Psalm 140 (verses 8-11) the psalmist prays to the Lord on behalf of his enemies as follows:</p><blockquote><p>Lord, do not grant the wicked their wishes, do not let their plots succeed. Do not let my attackers prevail, but let them be overwhelmed by their own malice. May red-hot embers rain down on them, may they be flung into the mire once and for all. May the slanderer find no rest anywhere, may evil hunt down violent men implacably.</p></blockquote><p>In Psalm 109 (verse 8-11), the psalmist prays for God to treat his enemy like this:</p><blockquote><p>May his life be cut short, someone else take over his office, his children be orphaned, his wife be widowed. May his children wander perpetually, beggars, driven from the ruins of their house, a creditor seize all his goods, and strangers make off with his earnings.</p></blockquote><p>Psalm 110:6 gives praise to God in a way rather alarming to our modern sensibilities: “He judges nations, heaping up corpses, he breaks heads over the whole wide world.”</p><blockquote><p>I include these quotations just to reiterate your point: this violence is not an aberration or exception in the Book of Psalms; it is present throughout, so wondering how to deal with it is a legitimate concern. And since you asked me specifically how I deal with it, that’s what I’ll tell you. I deal with it in two ways.</p></blockquote><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Real Prayer</span></p><p>First, passages like these can remind us that God knows how to deal with real people and their real struggles. Obviously, the author of this Psalm was writing from his heart. He makes a sincere plea that God intervene in his troubles, getting rid of their source. The psalmist is approaching God with total confidence. The psalmist is aware of his status as a child of God, a member of God’s chosen people. The psalmist is convinced that God really cares about things that matter to him personally, and that God has the capacity to intervene and make a difference. How it must have thrilled God’s heart to hear a prayer uttered with such vibrant, honest, and earthy faith! It was not the prayer of an angel, but the prayer of a man, a human being who is trying to live his God-given mission with gusto, and is faced with powerful enemies and thorny obstacles. Is that how we pray? Is that our attitude towards God?</p><p>We tend to overlook the brilliant quality of these prayers. Our attention immediately goes to the vengeful emotions and the violent emotions and desires that Jesus taught us to purify. But the psalmist lived before the fullness of revelation in Christ. There was nothing in Old Testament theology that forbade vengeance and violence against one’s enemies. The people of Israel understood only that God had chosen them to be a nation set apart, that he had promised to protect them and make them prosper, if they obeyed his commandments. Other peoples, pagan nations who didn’t know the Lord and worshipped idols, were not on the same level as themselves. Their enemies, from their perspective, were God’s enemies. God had as yet revealed neither Christ’s universal love and limitless mercy, nor mankind’s universal brotherhood in the Church. God was patiently and wisely priming history of the Incarnation when the psalmist was writing.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Emotional Power</span></p><p>Second, although Jesus taught us to purify vengeful, angry emotions and violent desires, the Church assures us that he never meant to eliminate them. They are part of being human. In the face of evil and unjust opposition, virtuous Christians need the help of strong emotions in order to do the right thing. The man who feels no anger at injustice may be falling into spiritual sloth. The purification of these inevitable human experiences involves directing them towards their true object: sin and the devil. The real enemy of our souls, the real enemy of the Church, is sin. And the devil is the shepherd of sin. The vehement expressions and sentiments of the psalmist are healthy when directed against sin and the devil. We should hate sin, in all its forms, though we must strive to love sinners and work energetically for their redemption. In other words, the violent images in the Psalm are an inspired way for us to understand how anti-sin we really should be.</p><p>Encountering violence in the Psalms, then, gives us a chance to learn how to be honest and passionate in our prayer, and it also turns our irascible tendencies into vital allies in our fight for truth, justice, and holiness.</p><p>Your is Christ, Father John Bartunek, LC</p></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-78758049199385869302009-07-02T06:19:00.002-06:002009-07-02T06:21:08.275-06:00Abandonment XV - Christian's Disregard of God's Action<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8mJw-Xa6ZDjmSDalCtR8d5Fc8_3RR7FERL8I8P4a18U-ijBb2TL7QCVv488Xqjk2_98zk2p5_xWWsByq2KGWebgdH1rxogLLOrBYG5VDCsU3JKZM3nV1i-BGEf8PAx0z54L3LpIrm7CI/s1600-h/s_+caterina+da+siena+3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 139px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8mJw-Xa6ZDjmSDalCtR8d5Fc8_3RR7FERL8I8P4a18U-ijBb2TL7QCVv488Xqjk2_98zk2p5_xWWsByq2KGWebgdH1rxogLLOrBYG5VDCsU3JKZM3nV1i-BGEf8PAx0z54L3LpIrm7CI/s200/s_+caterina+da+siena+3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353836714030655170" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-size:13px;"><p>What infidelity there is in the world! How unworthy are men's thoughts of God! We constantly complain of His action in a way we would not use towards the lowest of workmen about his trade. We would reduce God's action ot the limits and rules of our feeble reason. We presume to imagine that we can improve on His acts. These are nothing but complaints and murmurings.</p><p>We are surprised at the treatment endured by Jesus at the hands of the Jews. O divine love! adorable Will of God! infallible truth! in what way are you treated? Can God's will ever be inopportune? Can it be mistaken? "<span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">But there is this business of mine! I require such and such a thing! The necessary helps for my purpose have been taken from me. That man thwarts all my good works. Is it not most unreasonable? This illness comes on just when my health is most important to me.</span>" To all this there is but one answer: that the will of God is the only thing necessary; therefore what it does not grant must be useless.</p><p>My good souls, nothing is lacking to you. If you only knew what these events really are that you call misfortunes, accidents, and disappointments, and in which you can see nothing but what you consider out of place or unreasonable, you would be deeply ashamed. You would blame yourselves for your complainings as blasphemous. But you never think of these happenings as being the will of God, and His adorable will is blasphemed by His own dear children who refuse to acknowledge it.</p><p>When You were on earth, my dear Jesus, you were treated as a demoniac. They called You a Samaritan. And now, although it is acknowledged that You live and work through all the centuries of time, how is Your adorable will received - that will which is worthy of all blessing and praise? Has one moment passed from the creation of the world to the present time, and will there pass one from now to the day of judgment in which the holy name of God is not worthy of praise - that name which fills all the ages and everything that happens in them, and makes them holy? What? Can the will of God do me harm? Shall I fear, or fly from the will of God? And where shall I look to find anything better if I dread God's purpose for me, His will in my regard?</p><p>We ought to listen attentively to that inner voice in the depths of our hearts at every moment. If our understanding and reason to not comprehend or grasp the truth and goodness of these words, is it not because they are incapable of appreciating diving truths? Should we be amazed that our reason is confused by mysteries? When God speaks it is a mystery, and therefore a death-blow to my senses and my reason, for it is the nature of mysteries to confound both. Mystery makes the soul live by faith; everything else sees it as nothing but contradiction. God's action by one and the same stroke kills and gives life: the more one feels the death to the senses and reason, the more convinced should we become that it is bringing life to the soul. The darker the mystery, the more light it contains. This is why a simple soul finds nothing more divine than that which has the least appearance of being divine. The life of faith is a continual struggle against the senses.</p><p>Father Jean-Pierre de Caussade - Purchase <a mce_style="color: #000000; text-decoration: none;" title="The Joy of Full Surrender" href="http://www.paracletepress.com/the-joy-of-full-surrender.html" mce_href="http://www.paracletepress.com/the-joy-of-full-surrender.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; ">The Joy of Full Surrender</a></p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-33481440932644089472009-07-01T04:00:00.000-06:002009-07-01T04:00:35.441-06:0023. The Cost of Calm (Mt 8:18-27)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79Ave6S_JGyOwsEo3PGZJ52404bF81IvipkYRrhhM7C9yfJTfqlO2yA8BLyVlcXHtrcjs6-JY2Bi5W-C1PQdQhrKUoesAOnxthdNoAcgnOPqsxcOlhqrnlX44CumvQxwHTTkn4fWwrY8/s1600-h/theBetterPartCoversmall.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79Ave6S_JGyOwsEo3PGZJ52404bF81IvipkYRrhhM7C9yfJTfqlO2yA8BLyVlcXHtrcjs6-JY2Bi5W-C1PQdQhrKUoesAOnxthdNoAcgnOPqsxcOlhqrnlX44CumvQxwHTTkn4fWwrY8/s200/theBetterPartCoversmall.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352935987261959186" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-size:13px;"><p mce_style="text-align: right;" style="text-align: right; "><span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">“Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul. All other things on the face of the earth are created for man to help him fulfill the end for which he is created.”</span></p><p mce_style="text-align: right;" style="text-align: right; "><span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">- St Ignatius of Loyola</span></p><p>Matthew 8:18-27</p><p>When Jesus saw the great crowds all about him he gave orders to leave for the other side. One of the scribes then came up and said to him, ‘Master, I will follow you wherever you go’. Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head’. Another man, one of his disciples, said to him, ‘Sir, let me go and bury my father first’. But Jesus replied, ‘Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their dead’. Then he got into the boat followed by his disciples. Without warning a storm broke over the lake, so violent that the waves were breaking right over the boat. But he was asleep. So they went to him and woke him saying, ‘Save us, Lord, we are going down!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?’ And with that he stood up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and all was calm again. The men were astounded and said, ‘Whatever kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him.’</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Christ the Lord </span></p><p>St. Matthew is still showing us Jesus’ credentials. Not only does he heal the sick, but he also has power over the elements of nature. Storms were frequent in the Sea of Galilee, situated like a bowl surrounded by mountains, whence strong winds came sweeping across the water; violent storms would brew suddenly and then just as quickly play themselves out. At least some of the disciples present were fishermen, so they knew the weather patterns well, and they knew how to navigate a boat to ride out a storm. For them to panic means that the situation was truly perilous – the waves were high enough and the wind strong enough that they feared shipwreck. And yet, for Jesus, all it takes is a word to rein in the violent primal forces.</p><p>The passage is reminiscent of the Book of Jonah. Jonah too was asleep in the hold while the ship’s crew panicked. In that case as well, God calmed the sea in an instant – as soon as they threw the disobedient prophet into the water. But there is a difference. In Jesus, St. Matthew shows us, the very God who acted from on high to bring Jonah to Nineveh has come to dwell among men. No wonder the disciples were “amazed” – they were just starting to get the picture: Jesus is the Lord.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Christ the Teacher</span></p><p>The Church has long seen in this passage an analogy for the life of every Christian. The storm rages and threatens and batters the boat – just as temptations, sufferings, persecutions, and difficulties unceasingly beat against the mind and will of the Christian. Sometimes it seems that they are too much – the journey of doing God’s will is simply too difficult. Panic sets in. But the Holy Trinity has been in the Christian’s soul the entire time, ever since the day of baptism. And when human efforts fail to calm the storm, the Christian remembers the Lord, turns to him, and asks for help. Soon Jesus restores the “great calm” that comes from confiding in the power and the promises of God instead of in the dim knowledge and withered strength of self.</p><p>St. Therese of Lisieux used to meditate on this passage in times of inner turmoil or darkness. But she wouldn’t wake up the Lord. For her, it was enough to go over and sit beside him as he slept. <span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">Let the tempest rage; stay close to Christ and all will be well</span>.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Christ the Friend </span></p><p>At this point in St. Matthew’s Gospel Jesus has not yet called apart his Twelve Apostles. A larger group of disciples, including the future Twelve, is following him. As he prepares to get away from the crowds and spend some time with them across the Sea of Galilee, a couple of newcomers approach him and ask to be let into the group. They have been watching and listening, and Jesus has moved their hearts. But the Lord doesn’t exactly welcome them with open arms.</p><p>He doesn’t send them away, but he does point out that following him will not be easy. They will have to forego some of the comforts and stability enjoyed by their peers and neighbors (“the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head”); they will have to make their relationship with him their highest priority – even higher than good and natural family ties (the disciple who requests that Jesus let him “bury his father” is expressing his willingness to follow Christ in the future, after his father dies, when it would be more convenient). Christ is a friend who loves too intensely not to demand the very best for his friends. Whenever he makes demands, it’s only because he loves.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Christ in My Life </span></p><p><span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">You are so patient with me, and you stay so close to me, that sometimes I forget about your greatness. You inspired awe in your disciples. There have been moments when I too have experienced profound reverence in your presence. Jesus, don’t let me take you for granted. Remind me of your greatness; make me worthy to serve such a Lord; make me follow you as you deserved to be followed…</span></p><p><span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">Are you pleased with how I react to the storms that come into my life? They are precious moments, when things come into focus, when you remind me of my fragility and weakness. I want to stay close to you; I want to lean on you; I want to work hard for your Kingdom and even suffer for it, but always with a joyful heart, because you are always in the boat of my soul…</span></p><p><span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">What are you asking of me right now, at this specific point in my life, that makes me uncomfortable? Is our friendship worth that kind of sacrifice? All I have to do is look at the crucifix and you give me the answer: of course it is. I want to follow you, Lord, and I want to help many others follow you as well. You are my life and my salvation – what could I possible fear?... </span></p><p>Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek, LC</p><p><span><strong>To learn more, or purchase “The Better Part – A Christ Centered Resource for Personal Prayer,” click </strong></span><a mce_style="color: #000000; text-decoration: none;" href="http://circlepress.org/shop/index.php?p=product&id=34&parent=7" mce_href="http://circlepress.org/shop/index.php?p=product&id=34&parent=7" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; "><span><strong>HERE</strong></span></a><span><strong>.</strong></span></p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-47967092263150557432009-06-29T06:00:00.004-06:002010-04-24T16:52:46.968-06:00- I am struggling with the idea of "practicing the presence of God" - what can I do?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQTDrXihOxRyDpqYNr35R33W3QtuOfqtHfHzXL2w8f-hd-h_-5cAo8-B_CCWXm7xT92kcXOZ9FTiJtpjxBtP2wJvN4ZVW5yFAKnYgKY6Tqi_AvBEdvMlpWpmk_e8y5FESgppm3qgLtU8/s1600-h/Road_to_Emmaus.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQTDrXihOxRyDpqYNr35R33W3QtuOfqtHfHzXL2w8f-hd-h_-5cAo8-B_CCWXm7xT92kcXOZ9FTiJtpjxBtP2wJvN4ZVW5yFAKnYgKY6Tqi_AvBEdvMlpWpmk_e8y5FESgppm3qgLtU8/s200/Road_to_Emmaus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352719100914006674" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;font-size:13px;" ><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Q: I have had a pretty regular prayer life for a few years, and have been going to confession regularly as well, and receiving Communion frequently. In my spiritual reading, though, I keep coming across the idea of “practicing the presence of God.” This means staying aware of Jesus throughout the day’s activities, right? Well, I have been trying to do this, but can’t seem to make any progress. The end of the day comes around, and then I remember that I should have been aware of his presence. Is this something I should be worried about?</span></p><p>A: A beautiful question. Beautiful for two reasons: 1) If “practicing the presence of God” keeps coming up in your personal reading and reflection, you can be sure it’s because the Holy Spirit wants you to keep this on your spiritual agenda. This is how he coaches us – he puts something on our minds or hearts, and he keeps insisting on it. And if God is drawing you towards this rather advanced spiritual discipline, it means that he is already helping you grow in it. This is good stuff, altogether; 2) “Practicing the presence of God” will draw you closer to Christ than you ever dreamed possible, and that’s what it’s all about. Now onto the answer. </p><p>No, you should not be worried about your difficulty or confusion in this area, you should be excited about it: God is teaching you something new! Worry doesn’t come from God (if you mean by worrying a preoccupation that causes turbulence, doubt, and frustration in your soul). It comes from our pride, our tendency to think that we can make ourselves perfect and save the world by our own efforts. Remember, our Lord reminded us: “Do not fret about tomorrow, let tomorrow fret over its own cares. For today, today’s troubles are enough” (Matthew 6:34).</p><p>On the other hand, your instinct is right: this is a point of spiritual work that you should pay attention to at this point in your journey; this is why God has put it on your agenda. And here are some considerations that may help you do that.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">What does it mean?</span> “Practicing the presence of God” means not only staying aware of Jesus throughout the day, as you mention. That’s part of it, but not all of it. Practicing God’s presence means living every activity of the day <span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">with</span> Jesus, by his side, sharing every experience with him. Remember in your school days, how it was always more enjoyable to do your homework together with a good friend instead of all by yourself? You didn’t have to be doing the exact same assignments, and you didn’t even have to be helping each other, but the mere fact that you together, that you were sitting in the same room, maybe at the same table, that you were in each other’s presence and could throw a couple words or looks back and forth every once awhile – that was enough to change the character of doing homework. Think of another example. How often do you go to a movie all by yourself? Not very often, most likely, unless you are a professional movie critic or some sort. You go to a movie with a good friend. And even though you don’t spend those two hours talking with your friend, sharing the experience with that other person makes the experience more valuable, fruitful, and enjoyable. This sharing of experiences – the experience of every activity of every day – with Christ, allowing him to share the experience of your life, that is the real heart of “practicing the presence of God.”</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">What does it yield? </span> As we grow in this spiritual discipline, it has a major effect on our lives. We were created to “live in communion with God, in whom we find happiness” (Catechism #45). But in this fallen world, and due to our fallen nature, we tend towards a false sense of self-sufficiency. This stifles our growth as human beings. Instead of growing in wisdom, wonder, courage and all the virtues, when we live as if we were sufficient unto ourselves, we end up taking that path that eventually turns us into crotchety old men (or women), self-absorbed and self-absorbing, like black holes. Practicing the presence of God helps us maintain and deepen our communion with God even in the midst of the trials and tribulations of life in a fallen world with a fallen human nature. This is the path to holiness, God’s term for lasting happiness.</p><p><span mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">How to do it?</span> Since everyone’s friendship with God is unique, no generic formula will suffice for developing this spiritual discipline. Nevertheless, some common principles apply to all of us. </p><ol><li>First of all, we need to develop the basic spiritual disciplines you mention in your question: a structured and consistent daily prayer life (this doesn’t have to be as complicated as a monastic prayer life, just sincere and substantial); regular and fruitful reception of the sacraments, especially Communion and confession (this is the objective foundation of our communion with God – God’s grace is the stuff of which our friendship with Christ is made); and a reasonable, mature effort to overcome one’s selfish tendencies and to grow in virtue (<span mce_style="color: #000000;" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/spiritual-direction/spiritual-direction-reading-plan.htm" mce_href="http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/spiritual-direction/spiritual-direction-reading-plan.htm" target="_blank">spiritual reading</a>, a <a href="http://rcspiritualdirection.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-is-program-of-life-and-why-is-it.html">program of life</a>, and <a href="http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/topics/spiritual-direction" mce_href="http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/topics/spiritual-direction" target="_blank">spiritual direction</a> are a big help here</span>, as we’ve mentioned in other posts).</li><li>Secondly, we can experiment with practical techniques that will help us form the habit of remembering that we are never alone, that Jesus is at our side, eager to share our experiences and make them fruitful and meaningful. Here is where tactics like the spiritual bouquet come into play (<span mce_style="color: #000000;" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="http://rcspiritualdirection.blogspot.com/search/label/Journal">choosing a phrase at the end of the morning meditation</a></span><span mce_style="color: #000000;" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span>that you will use as a motto for the day, to keep in mind the insights and resolutions that came up in your meditation). Here we can also get creative: using a screen-saver that will remind you of the Lord; keeping religious articles visible in key places that you will frequent during the day; programming reminders into your email calendar; praying the Angelus whenever you get into the car to go for a drive; dropping by a local shrine, chapel, or church on your way home from work, school, or shopping… Since the current of the culture in which we live flows in the direction of self-centeredness and self-absorption, we have to make a positive effort to swim against it. Practical tactics can help. But here’s a warning: these are only means to an end, so don’t be surprised if one such tactic helps you for a while but then stops “working.” When that happens, experiment with something else. <span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" mce_fixed="1" style="font-style: italic;">I would love to hear about some of the tactics that our readers have used and found most helpful (just add them at the end of this post as a comment).</span></li><li>Thirdly, and most importantly, you (and all of us, really) need to ask yourself why it has been difficult for you to “practice the presence of God.” Part of the reason will simply be the superficiality and pace of our culture. Part of the reason will also be habits of self-centeredness that you haven’t yet overcome. But a deeper reason may also be at work. When you go to a dinner party with people who are important, fashionable, and popular, but who you don’t know very well, you are a bit nervous. You are worried about making the right impression. You don’t want to commit a <span mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">faux pas</span> or inadvertently offend someone. You are excited to be invited, but the excitement is mixed in with some tension. Whether things go well or ill, at the end of the night, when you get back in the car to head home, you breathe a sigh of relief; driving home with your spouse or with an old friend, you can be yourself again. At the party you were sharing experiences with people, you were living in their presence, but you didn’t have a relationship of trust with them. With your old friend, on the other hand, you never have to worry about making a good impression; you don’t have to be anxious about what they may think of you. Your relationship is solid, resilient, familiar – you can relax together. At times, the biggest obstacle to our “practicing the presence of God” is a subtle, subconscious fear about what God thinks of us. In the back of our mind, we are concerned about making the right impression in God’s eyes, and so when we are “in his presence” we put on a show; we watch carefully over every word instead of speaking simply and from the heart; we try to live up to standards that we imagine God is expecting of us; we are afraid that if we don’t meet those extra expectations, God will be displeased with us – he won’t invite us back to the next party. This mindset discourages us from living in God’s presence, because we can’t relax, we can’t be ourselves if we are trying to live up to artificial expectations.</li></ol><p>But God is not like that. He is not watching us like a hawk, just waiting for that faux pas, just looking for something to criticize. He knows us through and through already. He truly is the only friend who is perfect and perfectly committed to us. He wants to share every moment of our life, because he is simply that interested in our lives, like the oldest friend, the one we can always count on. That is how God is. The more deeply and fully we believe that, the easier and more natural it will be to live always in his presence.</p><p>Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek, LC</p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6235506664529238311.post-31155543237385230612009-06-25T04:00:00.002-06:002009-06-25T04:00:33.088-06:00Abandonment IV - God's Word Written on the Heart<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVPxUwcOjQEXC12AbdCKPlY5TDiO2f6VTy_oZ1Z0d-lzjXKBLKEH55C0gPh9q715L0HxVnUqmaVbjiFx0IouZTfs5DjQsh3cq-A0aXkT2_FHxcfS7pjjz6aYDJQwGD8P-NrL8Y2R8T_Y/s1600-h/s_+caterina+da+siena+3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 139px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVPxUwcOjQEXC12AbdCKPlY5TDiO2f6VTy_oZ1Z0d-lzjXKBLKEH55C0gPh9q715L0HxVnUqmaVbjiFx0IouZTfs5DjQsh3cq-A0aXkT2_FHxcfS7pjjz6aYDJQwGD8P-NrL8Y2R8T_Y/s200/s_+caterina+da+siena+3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349161323816029138" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px; "><p>"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and for ever, " says the Apostle (Hebrews 13:8). From the beginning of the world He was, as God, the source of the life of righteous souls. From the first moment of His incarnation, His humanity shared this prerogative of His divinity. He is working within us throughout our whole lives. The time that will elapse till the end of the world is but as a day, and this day abounds with His action. Jesus Christ lived, and lives still. He began in Himself and He continues in His saints a life that will never end.</p><p>O life of Jesus! including and extending beyond all the ages of time! Life working new wonders of grace at every moment! If not one is capable of understanding all that could be written of the earthly life of Jesus, all that He did and said while He was on earth - if the Gospel merely outlines a few of its features - how many Gospels would have to be written to record the history of all the moments of this mystical life of Jesus Christ which multiplies miracles to infinity and eternity! If the beginning of His natural life is so hidden and yet so fruitful, what can be said of the effect of that life of which every age of the world is the history?</p><p>The Holy Spirit has pointed out some moments in the ocean of time in the infallible words of the Holy Scriptures. In them we see the hidden and mysterious ways by which He has manifested Jesus Christ to the world. Amid the confusion of the races of men, we can follow the channels and veigns that distinguish the origin, race and genealogy of the Firstborn. The entire Old Testament is but an outline of the profound mystery of this divine work; it contains only what is necessary to reach the advent of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit kept all the rest hidden among the treasures of His wisdom. From this vast sea of divine action, only a tiny stream appears, and when this has reached Jesus, it is lost again in the Apostles and swallowed up in the Book of Revelation; so that the history of this divine action, consisting of the life of Jesus in the souls of the righteous to the very end of time, can only be perceived by faith alone.</p><p>As the truth of God has been made known by word, the love of God is made known by deeds. The Holy Spirit continues to carry on the work of our Savior. While helping the Church to preach the Gospel of Christ, He himself is writing His own Gospel on the hearts of the faithful. All their actions, all the moments of their lives, make up the Gospel of the Holy Spirit. The souls of the saints are the paper, their sufferings and actions are the ink. The Holy Spirit by the pen of His actions, writes a living Gospel, but we can only read it when it has been taken out of the press of this life and published on the day of eternity.</p><p>Oh! wonderful story! What a glorious book the Holy Spirit is now writing! It is still on the press. There is never a day when the type is not being set, ink applied, and sheets printed. But we are still in the night of faith. The paper is blacker than the ink, and there is great confusion in the type. It is written in letters which belong to another world, and there is no understanding of it but in Heaven itself.</p><p>If we could perceive this life of God, and see all creatures, not as they are in themselves, but as instruments of His will, and if again, we could perceive His life in all His creatures and understand how His action animates and impels them all to press forward in different ways, mingling them, assembling them, scattering them, yet pushing them all to the same point by different means, we should recognize that everything in this divine work has its reason, its measure, its connection with God's overall work. But how can we read this book whose letters are foreign to us, whose type is reversed and whose pages are blotted with ink? If the blending of the twenty-six letters of our alphabet results in such incomprehensible diversity that they can be used to write an almost infinite number of different volumes, all admirable, who can explain what God is doing in the universe? Who can read and understand the meaning of so vast a book in which every single letter has its own particular significance and contains in its littleness the most profound mysteries? Mysteries can neither be seen nor felt. They are objects of faith. Faith alone judges their worth and truth only by their source, because they are so obscure in themselves that all their external appearances serve only to conceal them and mislead those who judge by reason alone.</p><p>Teach me, Divine Spirit, to read in this book of life. I desire to become Your disciple and, like a little child, to believe what I cannot understand and cannot see. It is enough for me that it is my Lord who speaks. He says this! He pronounces that! He arranges the letters in such a fashion! He makes Himself heard in such a manner! That is enough. I judge that all is exactly as He says. I do not see the reason, but He is the infallible truth; therefore all that He says, all that He does is true. He groups His letters to form a word, and different letters again to form another word. The word may have three letters, or it may have six. Then no more are necessary, and fewer would be nonsense. He alone who knows all the thoughts of men can bring these letters together to express it. Everything has significance, everything has a perfect meaning. This line purposely ends here. Not a comma is missing nor is there one useless period. I believe that now, but in the glory to come, when so many mysteries will be revealed, I shall see plainly what I understand so dimly.</p><p>Then what appears so complicated, so perplexing, so foolish, so inconsistent, so imaginary, will charm and delight me eternally with the beauty, order, knowledge, wisdom and the inconceivable wonders I shall find in it.</p><p>Father Jean-Pierre de Caussade - Purchase <a title="The Joy of Full Surrender" href="http://www.paracletepress.com/the-joy-of-full-surrender.html" mce_href="http://www.paracletepress.com/the-joy-of-full-surrender.html" target="_blank">The Joy of Full Surrender</a></p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1