Keep
your eyes open!...
November 27, 2018
(Lev
19:19) Keep ye my laws. Thou shalt not make thy cattle to gender with
beasts of any other kind. Thou shalt not sow thy field with different
seeds. Thou shalt not wear a garment that is woven of two sorts.
HEADLINE: Chinese Researchers Claim to Have Genetically Engineered the First HIV-Immune Babies
ASIANEWS: Changing children’s DNA is 'crazy', ‘unethical’ and 'dangerous'
NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTER EDITORIAL: It’s Up to Us to Protect the Tree of Life
EXCERPT: Neuroscientist Maureen Condic brings a different voice to NSF oversight body
In her interview with
ScienceInsider, Condic ticked off three areas in which she feels
scientists have run roughshod over public opinion. “I would say CRISPR
genome editing, human embryonic stem cell research, and human-animal
chimeras are three good examples of where the science is having a
disproportionately large impact on the development of public policy
without adequately accounting for the concerns of the public—ignorant,
informed, or otherwise.” She says the December 2015 International
Summit on Human Gene Editing—which was convened by the leading national
scientific academies in the United States, China, and the United
Kingdom and featured scientists, physicians, and bioethicists from
around the world—was the latest example of that hubris.
“I mean, we live in a society,” she
says. “And if people have concerns, it’s not OK to simply ignore them.
And sometimes when you engage in a conversation, you come to appreciate
their different views. In the field of stem cell research, for example,
I haven’t heard a lot of sympathy expressed for the concerns of people
opposed to human embryonic stem cell research.”
Condic knows both what it’s like to
be part of the in-crowd and how it feels to be excluded. In Utah,
officials of the Catholic Church cited the “sacrifices” Condic has made
in praising her 2015 appointment to the Pontifical Academy for Life, a
group of bioethicists and medical scientists that advises the Vatican
on issues regarding the sanctity of life.
“As a diocese, we’re very proud of
her, of the work she has done as a Catholic, as a committed woman, and
as a scientist,” the Most Rev. John Wester, bishop of Salt Lake City,
said in a statement after the Vatican announced her appointment. “She’s
really been an advocate for a pro-life message and she has done this at
great personal sacrifice. It has not always been easy for her; she has
suffered in her profession because of the very strong stance she has
taken in defending life, and yet she has not wavered.” Condic serves on
a Pontifical Academy committee that is looking into human gene editing.
“We are trying to take an objective view of what is being done, the
pros and cons,” she says. One major issue, she says, is whether the
technology will be applied “equitably” in the developing world. She and
her brother have also just published a book offering scientific and
philosophical arguments for the idea that human life begins at the
moment of fertilization.
EDITOR'S COMMENTARY: Previous Attempts at usurping God's authority
The
Bible has carefully detailed previous
attempts of the satan/fallen man alliance to usurp the authority of
God.
Each of these attempts has resulted in crushing judgments handed down
by
God towards man. It began in the Garden of Eden with Adam and
Eve's
disobedience with regards to the Tree of Knowledge. The
result was
banishment from the Garden of Eden and from the intimate fellowship
with
God that man had shared. Man's lifetime previously meant to
be eternal
now became numbered.
Satan
soon followed this with his
attempt to pollute the seed of man via intermarriage of the daughter of
man with demons (Genesis 6:2). God once again answered with
unequivocal
fury sending his flood to destroy all of mankind save Noah and his
family.
Next
came mankind's attempt to reach
the heavens via the Tower of Babel. God's answer was sure,
swift,
and severe: He scattered man throughout the earth and
confounded
their speech. No longer would all the earth be of one tongue
(Genesis
11:1)
Scientists
are trumpeting the wonderful
potential of this new technology without careful consideration of its
terrible
moral implications. Only God is the author of life and man,
his greatest
creation, was made in His own likeness. Cloning allows man to
create
man in his own image.
So God created man
in his own image, in the
image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Gen 1:27)
But God gives it a
body as He pleases, and to
each seed its own body. (1 Cor 15:38)
Or do you not know
that your body is the temple
of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are
not
your own? (1 Cor 6:19)
Jesus answered and
said to them, "Destroy
this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:19)
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "On discernment of thoughts, passions,
and virtues"
35. If through our activity God arises in us, His
enemies will be scattered; and if we draw near to Him by divine vision,
those who hate Him will flee from before His face and ours (cf. Ps 67:1).
November 25, 2018
(Dan
7:13-14) I beheld, therefore, in the vision of the night, and lo, one
like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and he came even to
the ancient of days: and they presented him before him. And he gave him
power, and glory, and a kingdom: and all peoples, tribes, and tongues
shall serve him: his power is an everlasting power that shall not be
taken away: and his kingdom that shall not be destroyed.
NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTER: Christ the King is the Answer to Today’s Evils
EXCERPT ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT: The Solemnity of Christ the King
The late Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, in his wonderful little book The
Promise, writes that idolatry has always been – and remains – one of
humanity’s deepest temptations. In his words, “paganism always remains
a temptation, in its archaic as well as its most developed forms. The
power that man has given himself is the most subtle and most modern of
these temptations.”
Power over the natural world feeds human vanity and man’s illusions of
security; it leads us to offer God pious words, but not humble hearts.
But God cannot be fooled. For Lustiger, a church cannot be invented by
hanging a cross on the wall of a pagan temple, nor is a Christian
nation created merely by drawing a cross on a flag. Christian faith
demands radical conversion and a deep commitment to the one true God.
And as a result, “unless the water of baptism has … penetrated to their
hearts,” self-described Christians — from the highest bishop to the
simplest believer — can be among the very worst frauds and idolaters,
“disfiguring [Christ]” by their actions, “and then [making] this
distortion into their god.”
We live in a democratic age, and democracy, for all of its strengths,
can also make people deaf to the language of faith. Alexis de
Tocqueville described the difference between democratic man, and all of
human history before the democratic age, as the difference between “two
distinct humanities.” Democratic man instinctively distrusts any form
of inequality, privilege or hierarchy. All legitimacy in a democracy
flows from the sovereign individual and the state he helps create. But
the Church is a very different kind of community with very different
premises, starting with the premise of a sovereign Creator and Author
of life.
The content of biblical faith, and especially the language of
“lordship” or “kingship,” can seem outdated or alien to many of us. The
Solemnity of Christ the King is a good moment to help us see our own
mortality and the temporary nature of all created things; but also to
rejoice in the love that God has for each of us – the God who is our
deliverer and the lord of the real “real world,” which is so much
larger than everyday life.
The nature of Christ’s kingly power is revealed throughout Scripture.
Jesus came first as an expression of God’s humility and mercy in the
poverty of Bethlehem. But the Solemnity of Christ the King reminds us
that at the end of time, he will return on a throne in glory, the
executor of God’s justice. Jesus alone rules. He alone judges. There
will be no opinion polling, no rebuttal from defense attorneys, and no
court of appeal. The same standards of a righteous life will apply to
judging all equally, and the ranks of the nations will be divided for
joy or loss. This is the Christ of sober grandeur and truth. This is
the Jesus who demands an accounting for all idolatries, great and
small; and who will reward all faithfulness with eternal life.
As a bitterly difficult Church year closes, and we wait on the
threshold of another beginning – a new Advent season – we need to
remember three simple realities. God loves us infinitely and with a
Father’s tenderness. God’s ways will be done, with or without our
approval. And our choices and actions matter, not just in this life,
but forever.
FR. ALTIER: "In
this life each of us is given the choice of whom we will serve. Two
options are given to us: the King of the Universe or the Prince of this
world. Since the Prince of this world has nothing to offer beyond this
world, why would anyone want to serve him? The only thing he can offer
is limited to the here and now: a false sense of dominion, power, and
glory that are finished when this life ends. For those who choose to
serve the Lord, they already share in Christ’s dominion, power, and
glory; when this life ends their union with the King will be perfect,
universal, and eternal".
MANILLA BULLETIN:
A true story is told that when Joseph Stalin, supreme head of the
Central Communist Party of Russia, heard about the pope’s estate and
Swiss guards, he asked sarcastically: “How many divisions (of soldiers)
does the pope have?”
Learning of Stalin’s sarcastic remark, the pope is quoted to have said,
“Tell my son Joseph that he’ll find out in the next life.”
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "On discernment of thoughts, passions,
and virtues"
31. Angels are a light for monks, and the monastic
life is a light for all men. Therefore let monks strive to become a good
example in everything, giving no occasion for stumbling in anything in
all their works and words. For if the light becomes darkness, how much
darker will be that darkness, that is, those living in the world (cf. II
Cor 6:3).
November 21, 2018
THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN NEXT
WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15). HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
(Col 3:15-17)
And
let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, wherein also you are
called in one body: and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in
you abundantly: in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in
psalms, hymns and spiritual canticles, singing in grace in your hearts
to God. All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
ST. POPE JOHN PAUL II:
"For us, Christians, thanksgiving is expressed fully in the Eucharist.
In every Holy Mass, we bless the Lord, God of the universe, presenting
to him the bread and wine, fruits "of the earth and of the work of
man." To these simple foods, Christ has united his sacrificial
oblation. United to Him, believers are also called to offer to God
their lives and daily work. May Mary, Mother of Divine Providence,
teach us to be grateful to the Lord for all that nature and human
effort produce for our sustenance, and make us ready to share our
resources with all those who are in need".
REVIEW: The Catholic connection to Thanksgiving Day
DENVER CATHOLIC: What the saints have to say about gratitude
EXCERPT MADISON CATHOLIC HERALD: Counting our blessings on Thanksgiving by Fr. Donald Lange
Tradition of Thanksgiving
American tradition links Thanksgiving's origins to the pilgrims whom
the Old Testament influenced. After a long hard winter during which
many died, the surviving pilgrims set aside three days to thank God for
their blessings and to share their blessings with Indian friends.
Thanks especially to the persistent efforts of widow Sarah Hale, known
as the "Mother of Thanksgiving Day," in 1863 President Abraham Lincoln
made Thanksgiving a national holiday during the bloody Civil War, when
many Americans seemed to have little for which to be thankful.
The simple word "thanks" is one word that many of us like to hear,
including Jesus. In Luke 17: 11-19, Jesus cured 10 lepers, but only one
returned to thank him. Jesus seems disappointed when he asks, "Were not
10 cured? Where are the other nine?"
Sharing our blessings
St. James reminds us that like the pilgrims, one of the best ways to be
thankful is to share our blessings with the poor. In James 2:15-17 it
says, "If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for
the day, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, keep warm, and eat
well,' but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good
is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
We can express our thanks for our blessings in deeds by donating to a
food pantry, or we can invite a lonely person for Thanksgiving dinner
and share our thanks. We can also visit shut-ins, persons in nursing
homes, or hospital patients who long for visitors who seldom come and
never stay.
We can participate in Thanksgiving Mass. The word "Eucharist" comes
from a Greek word meaning thanks. Participating in Thanksgiving Mass or
any Mass offers us the graced chance to thank God for our blessings.
Each day we can pray, "Lord give me a grateful heart!" Let's do this
now!
May our spirit of Thanksgiving continue into Advent, Christmas, and the New Year.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT:
"Comparison is the thief of joy. It breeds envy and resentment.
Gratitude, however, breeds both joy and humility, thankfulness for
graces received".
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "On discernment of thoughts, passions,
and virtues"
30. Instruction in childhood, education and studies,
either help or hinder us in virtue and in the monastic way of life when
we come of age.
November 19, 2018
(1Pe 4:12-14)
Dearly
beloved, think not strange the burning heat which is to try you: as if
some new thing happened to you. But if you partake of the sufferings of
Christ, rejoice that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may also be
glad with exceeding joy. If you be reproached for the name of Christ,
you shall be blessed: for that which is of the honour, glory and power
of God, and that which is his Spirit resteth upon you.
REVIEW: Why Does the Mainstream Media Continue to Ignore These Mass Christian Executions?
VATICAN NEWS: World looks the other way at Christian persecution, Pope says
Pope Francis
addressed members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of
Jerusalem on Friday, at the end of its 4-day Consulta on 13-16 November.
The Consulta is the Equestrian
Order’s general assembly, which takes place every 5 years. Ranking
members gather in Rome “to discuss the great questions of the Order’s
mission and life.” Pope Francis took the opportunity to highlight “the
dramatic situation of Christians who are persecuted and killed in
ever-greater numbers.” He also called attention to a type of “white
martyrdom, like, for example, that type which occurs in democratic
countries when religious freedom is limited.”
He exhorted the knights and dames
of the Holy Sepulchre to offer both “material aid” and “prayer,
constantly invoking the Blessed Virgin, whom you venerate under the
title of “Our Lady of Palestine”. “She is the caring Mother and
Help of Christians, for whom she obtains strength and comfort in pain
from the Lord.”
He invited the Order’s leaders “to
offer an example of intense spiritual life and concrete adhesion to the
Lord.” “Do not forget that you are not a philanthropic organization,
whose aim is to improve the material and social standing of those you
assist.” The Holy Father said members of the Holy Sepulchre Order are
called focus their efforts “on the evangelical love of neighbor, so as
to bear witness everywhere to the goodness and care with which God
loves every person.” At the conclusion of the audience, Pope Francis
blessed an icon of “Our Lady, Help of Persecuted Christians”.
“Let us together invoke Mary’s care for the Church in the Holy Land and
more generally in the Middle East, together with her special
intercession for those whose lives and freedoms are in danger.”
MORE: Pope and Assyrian Patriarch Condemn Persecution of Christians
THE CATHOLIC THING: A Black Book on Jihad
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Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "On discernment of thoughts, passions,
and virtues"
29. Do not boast, man, of the wealth you have obtained
without labour. For the Bestower, foreseeing your great hurt, and infirmity,
and ruin, at least saves you to some extent by those unmerited gifts.
November 16, 2018
(1Pe
3:15-16) But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready
always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which
is in you. But with modesty and fear, having a good conscience: that
whereas they speak evil of you, they may be ashamed who falsely accuse
your good conversation in Christ.
CATHOLIC HERALD: Knowing your faith: What does it mean to be a ‘practicing Catholic’?
RON SMITH REPORT: Receiving Non-Catholic Communion
Note from Ron: To receive my Catholic Q&A reports or submit questions please contact me with your
correct email address.
MEDITATION: Thoughts
by St Theophan (1815-1894)
[I Tim. 3:1-3; Luke 16:1-9]
The parable is about the denounced unjust steward. Do you see how he
managed to disentangle himself from his misfortune! If only we would
all manage to arrange for ourselves a peaceful life upon our departure
from this life! But no: Children of this world are in their generation
wiser than the children of light. Why did the steward go to such pains?
Because disaster was near. The nearness of misfortune aroused energy
and quick-wittedness, and he quickly settled everything.
But is our misfortune not near? Death could overtake us at any moment,
and then: give an account of thy stewardship. Everyone knows this, but
almost nobody moves. What is this insanity? Nobody thinks he will die
right now, but all suppose that they will live another day or two; they
don't know the time, only that death will come sometime later. This is
why misfortune is seen as something in the future. Misfortune is ahead,
and any thought about what to do in case of misfortune is put off.
Nobody thinks to remain incorrigible his entire life, but he simply
puts off changing for the present day. But since one's entire life is
composed of present days and hours, any concern for change just does
not come.
ALETEIA: Four Things we should do to prepare for judgment day
VIA SHIELD OF FAITH:
Padre Pio converts a “mangiapreti” - a priest-hater
A Desperate Illness Cured by Padre Pio
Anatomy of a Conversion
The Twelve "Apostles" of Padre Pio
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "On discernment of thoughts, passions,
and virtues"
28. Some, I know not why (for I have not learned
to pry conceitedly into the gifts of God) are by nature, I might say, prone
to temperance, or stillness, or purity, or modesty, or meekness, or contrition.
But others, although almost their own nature itself resists them in this,
to the best of their power force themselves; and though they occasionally
suffer defeat yet, as men struggling with nature, they are in my opinion
higher than the former.
November 14, 2018
(2Co
10:3-5) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the
flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty to God,
unto the pulling down of fortifications, destroying counsels, And every
height that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God: and bringing
into captivity every understanding unto the obedience of Christ:
FR Z BLOG: ASK FATHER: “I am doubting that the current Catholic Church is the Church it has always claimed to be”
CATHOLIC SUN: Spiritual Warfare: The Armor of the Sacraments by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted
EXCERPT CATHOLIC THING: Where Have All the Devils Gone?
When Jesus appoints twelve as his apostles, he sends them out to teach,
giving them “authority to cast out demons.” (3:15) That Jesus has this
power is his chief trait in the eyes of his enemies: “by the prince of
demons he casts out the demons,” they say, conceding the fact.
When he begins to teach (ch. 4), he speaks only in parables about the
incursion of the Kingdom. The very first parable mentions Satan and his
resistance efforts, snatching away the word that is sown. (4:15) When
he starts doing works of mercy, his cure of “the Gerasene demoniac”
gets the most attention in a chapter which includes also the cure of
the woman with a hemorrhage and the raising of Jairus’ daughter (ch 5).
When he actually sends out the twelve to preach, their message is “that
men should repent,” associated with “they cast out many demons.” (ch. 6)
Jesus’ first dealing with a pagan, which shows that the Gospel is being
preached to the nations, is to exorcize a demon that afflicts the
daughter of the Syrophoenician woman. (ch. 7) His famous rebuke of
Peter shows how he identifies the opposition to the Kingdom: “Get
behind me Satan!” (ch. 8) The question of whether someone is with him
or against him hinges precisely on whether someone is casting out
demons in the name of Jesus. (11: 38-41)
It’s not until the 10th chapter that you encounter “moral teaching” at
all. Tellingly, for our time, it concerns the indissolubility of
marriage and welcoming children. After that, Mark’s Gospel is devoted
to the events of Holy Week.
But we must face the contrast. Many of us pray the St. Michael prayer
after Mass. The Holy Father mentions the devil frequently, clearly
treating demons as a reality. And we all know about Screwtape.
However, in general the “culture” of the faith in which we are immersed
is disturbingly different from Mark’s. We have lost the sense that a
struggle against the devil is part of Christian discipleship, and that
precisely here the Church has necessary power.
In our complacent attitude we are at odds not merely with Mark but with
historic Christianity: “By our first parents’ sin, the devil has
acquired a certain domination over man,” (CCC 407); “Since Baptism
signifies liberation from sin and from its instigator the devil, one or
more exorcisms are pronounced over the candidate.” (CCC 1237)
So where have all the devils gone? Let’s hope they can be largely
banished outside the realms of “Christendom.” But the ramparts of that
civilization have been breached – even though the sacramental life
indeed remains a safeguard against them. Devils are immaterial beings
who cannot be destroyed. They are said to “prowl about the world” until
the end of this generation. If we concede that they ever have existed,
we would be smart to presume they are not distant from us now.
BREAKING VIA INSIDE THE VATICAN: Letter #74: Sacred Mandate
Dear Brothers Bishops in the US, I am writing to remind you of the
sacred mandate you were given on the day of your episcopal ordination:
to lead the flock to Christ. Meditate on Proverbs 9:10: The fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom! Do not behave like frightened sheep,
but as courageous shepherds. Do not be afraid of standing up and doing
the right thing for the victims, for the faithful and for your own
salvation. The Lord will render to every one of us according to our
actions and omissions.
I am fasting and praying for you.
+Arch. Carlo Maria Vigano` Your former Apostolic Nuncio
November 13, 2018 Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "On discernment of thoughts, passions,
and virtues"
27. I have seen one and the same sick man sometimes
drink the medicine of obedience, and move, walk and not sleep in order
to cleanse his impurity; and sometimes, when the eye of his soul was sick,
remain still and silent. He who has ears to hear let him hear.
November 12, 2018
(1Pe 5:1-4) The
ancients therefore that are among you, I beseech who am myself also an
ancient and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as also a partaker
of that glory which is to be revealed in time to come: Feed the flock
of God which is among you, taking care of it, not by constraint but
willingly, according to God: not for filthy lucre's sake but
voluntarily: Neither as lording it over the clergy but being made a
pattern of the flock from the heart. And when the prince of pastors
shall appear, you shall receive a never fading crown of glory.
Saint Josaphat Pray for us!
CNS: Response to sexual abuse crisis tops agenda for USCCB fall meeting
The firestorm surrounding the clergy sex abuse crisis and the way some
bishops handled allegations of abuse against priests will be an
important part of the agenda of the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops' fall general assembly.
The bishops have had to deal with seemingly endless revelations of
allegations of abusive clergy since June, most of which referred to
long-past incidents. New reports from media outlets also were expected
as the Nov. 12-14 assembly in Baltimore approaches.
Bishops nationwide also are facing new challenges as several state
attorneys general have opened investigations into the handling of abuse
allegations. The investigations follow the release of a Pennsylvania
grand jury report in August that linked more than 300 priests and
church workers to abuse claims and identified more than 1,000 victims
over a 70-year period dating from 1947.
The USCCB has not directly addressed the investigations and has not
offered any indication that it will advise bishops on how to respond.
Beyond the discussions of clergy sexual abuse and any further actions,
the bishops were expected to vote on a new pastoral letter on racism,
though the agenda for the meeting has not been finalized.
Security, always tight during the twice-a-year assemblies, is expected
to be stricter than usual to prevent access to the Marriott Waterfront
Hotel meeting site by protesters upset with the way the bishops have
handled reports of abuse by clergy.
RELATED
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Archbishop Aquila: Ahead of bishops’ meeting, we need your prayer and fasting
Bishops’ Meeting to Include Full Day of Discernment, Prayer
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "On discernment of thoughts, passions,
and virtues"
26. I have seen an unskilled physician who, by
subjecting to dishonour a sick man who was contrite in spirit, only drove
him to despair. And I have seen a skilled physician who operated on an
arrogant heart with the knife of dishonour, and drained it of all its evil-smelling
pus.
November 7, 2018
(Psa 46:10) Be still and see that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, and I will be exalted in the earth.
CATHOLIC EXCHANGE: The Power of Spiritual Detachment by Fr. Bob Camuso
NEWS ARCHIVES: Sister Melissa Dwyer takes God, not Olympic gold
MEDITATION: Being Empty to Allow Jesus In by Sr Melissa Dwyer
“Your emptiness is but your preparation for being filled.” – Charles
Spurgeon
OFTEN we view the notion of emptiness as something negative.
There can be a tendency to be uncomfortable with silence, and try to fill it with noise.
We fill our free time with activity to avoid sitting with ourselves as
we are. And sometimes in life, we find ourselves running on empty,
needing to be filled up with something meaningful to keep us going.
For many, emptiness is terrifying and we are hesitant to apply the word “empty” to ourselves.
Yet emptiness in itself can be a very positive thing, for unless we
realise we are in need of something to fill us up, we don’t necessarily
give God the space to work.
I came to know Jesus through a moment of emptiness in my life.
As a young person, I never enjoyed going to Mass.
I would come up with every excuse in the book to avoid Church,
especially seeing it clashed with my favourite television program.
I reached a point after finishing school where externally I had
everything going for me; I’d just started the university course I
dreamt; I had many friends and was doing really well at sport.
Yet inside me, something was missing.
I had an emptiness in me that I had no idea how to fill.
I found myself sitting in the back of a Church sharing with a priest how much I didn’t like myself.
He put me in touch with the local National Evangelisation Team, where I found a space to be myself, as I was, without judgement.
I started to pray and I came to know that a personal relationship with
God was the only thing that would give me lasting happiness.
It was no longer important what I achieved, but who I was as a child of God.
This encounter with Jesus, at a moment of emptiness in my life,
transformed me forever. My life resonated with the words of Saint
Teresa of Kolkata who said, “It’s only when you realise your emptiness
that God can fill you with himself.” An old Chinese proverb says, the
usefulness of a cup is in its emptiness.
Perhaps this can be reworded to suggest that the usefulness of a Christian is in our emptiness.
For it’s when we don’t have all the answers, when we don’t rely on
ourselves, that we are more likely to reach out to God and give Him
space to work in our lives and in our hearts.
Perhaps if we can re-dimension our mindsets to suggest that instead of
emptiness being something negative, we see emptiness as an openness to
unlimited possibilities.
Mary has always been for me a model of someone who lived her emptiness in such a way that she was open to God filling her up.
Mary had her life turned upside down by God when the angel Gabriel invited her to be the mother of Jesus.
Mary didn’t fully understand what was asked of her, yet she responded
with unconditional availability to what God wanted to do in and through
her.
We are continually challenged by the example of Mary, who invites us to
consider if we are empty and available for God to use us, even when it
doesn’t make sense.
It’s easy to see Mary and other biblical figures and saints who were
open and available to God and willing to surrender lives to God’s plan.
However, in reality, sitting with our emptiness is not an easy thing to do.
It’s easy to say to others, “trust in God” and “don’t worry Jesus will
fill your emptiness”, however the deeper truth is actually that
sometimes Jesus doesn’t just fill the emptiness.
In certain seasons of life, He sometimes widens it. And that’s okay.
In the moments when being empty is painful, we recall that God never
permits us to experience a time of trial unless he intends it to bring
more abundant graces once it is over. Emptiness is never wasted or
useless.
It leads us towards something, if only we are willing to keep searching
for the light in the darkness, the rainbow after the storm.
As we move towards the end of the year, let us dare to consider, what might be cluttering up my life right now?
What might God be asking me to empty myself of?
I believe that if we surrender to this beautiful gift that emptiness
can be, we might start to realize that, while we are always free to
choose to fill ourselves with the world, in truth we can choose nothing
less than Christ.
Even though sometimes choosing to sit in the unknown with Jesus is
painful, He desires to fill our emptiness with Himself, and ultimately,
“our hearts are restless until they rest in Him”.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "On discernment of thoughts, passions,
and virtues"
25. Sometimes what serves as a medicine for one
is poison for another; and sometimes something given to one and the same
person at a suitable time serves as a medicine, but at the wrong time it
is a poison.
November 5, 2018
(Pro 29:2) When just men increase, the people shall rejoice: when the wicked shall bear rule, the people shall mourn.
PRIESTS FOR LIFE: Ten Easy Steps to… Voting with a Clear Conscience
LIFESITENEWS: A Catholic’s role and duty in the US midterm and all elections
CATHOLIC PHILLY: Election guides and helping voters form conscience before casting ballot
EXCERPT ARCHBISHOP AQUILA: Take Christ to the polls with you this Election Day
“[First], look at who forms you and your conscience,” he wrote. “Is it
your personal encounter with Jesus Christ and the Church, the voice of
God which cannot contradict the truth or revelation, or is it the
ideology of some political party?
“Secondly, look at how you have been a leaven in society. How have you
sought the common good and values of the Gospel, especially by serving
the poor, the needy, the unborn and the dying?
Lastly, he implored the faithful to “look at how each party platform
supports human life from conception through natural death, the freedom
of religion and the freedom of conscience, the family and the poor.”
As far as specific issues are concerned, it remains with the person’s
conscience to decide how to vote. However, Archbishop Aquila emphasized
that when it comes to upholding the dignity of life, while “there are
some issues that can legitimately be debated by Christians, such as
which policies are the most effective in caring for the poor, the
direct killing of innocent human life must be opposed at all times by
every follower of Jesus Christ.
“There are no legitimate exceptions to this teaching,” he stressed.
HLI: Your Vote Counts in Tuesday’s U.S. Mid-Terms
Tuesday’s mid-term elections are of
utmost importance and will decide whether pro-life momentum will
continue. There have been tremendous gains in the pro-life movement
over the past two years, due to electing candidates to federal and
state offices who are doing everything they can to protect life.
President Trump’s pro-life policies have saved countless babies, women,
and families in the U.S. and around the world. Moreover, pro-life
governors and state legislatures have passed hundreds of pro-life laws
protecting our most vulnerable from the violence of abortion.
But our pro-life momentum could
come to a drastic halt if we let pro-abortion candidates win. This is
why it’s urgent we let our pro-life voice be heard next Tuesday!
Many in our nation have forgotten
God and His holy will. The consequences speak for themselves:
immorality, division, confusion, violence, rejection of the natural
family, and indifference toward the most vulnerable of our citizens,
the unborn child. We need men and women who will acknowledge the will
of God, be servant leaders who trust in Him, and will lead this nation
once again to honor God’s will, love the things He loves, and who care
more about the good of others than themselves.
Let us pray for our country and its
healing, for its citizens and civil leaders, and that this nation will
once again defend, love, respect, and serve Life.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "On discernment of thoughts, passions,
and virtues"
24. The providence of God is one thing, His help
is another, and His protection another. Providence is displayed in all
creation, help only in the faithful, protection in the faithful who truly
have faith, mercy in those who serve God, and consolation in those who
love Him.
November 1, 2018
(Heb 12:1-2) And
therefore we also having so great a cloud of witnesses over our head,
laying aside every weight and sin which surrounds us, let us run by
patience to the fight proposed to us: Looking on Jesus, the author and
finisher of faith, who, having joy set before him, endured the cross,
despising the shame, and now sitteth on the right hand of the throne of
God.
BLOG: Top 50 Saints’ Quotes
YOUTUBE: Traditional Litany of the Saints
EXCERPT CERC: The Feast of All Saints
The Feast of All Saints is one of the greatest of all the feasts
because it celebrates what could have been impossible. The cross is a
tree that bears fruit. This is the feast of its harvest. The
celebrations of the mysteries in the life of Our Lord are glorious and
there is no detracting from them. But He was God. This day we celebrate
the perfecting of human nature, by grace pouring from the side of
Christ on the cross, through His Church and His sacraments, remaking
men after their despoiling in the Garden.
Aside from all the lofty things to be said about the saints and to the
saints on this day, we want our children to understand in the marrow of
their bones what the principal idea is: "We are so glad for you. Now
pray, so we'll be there too!" And they must add to this and to every
feast an endless: "Thank you, Lord Jesus, for making it possible."
Each succeeding feast gives us a new understanding of this. We have
been "born of God." We must know the saints because we can learn from
them how to receive His will, to love it, to act on it, to use the
power He has given us to become the sons of God. Here, we are His
adopted sons separated from Heaven by life in the flesh. That part of
us that He made in His own image and likeness is detained a while, in
the body. It is being tried. The saints went through the trials too,
and with the help of His grace, they overcame them. They are in glory
now, sons united at last with their Father. This is the greatest of His
mercies. He loved us before the creation of the world, and planned for
us to be in eternity with Him. When sin spoiled the plan, He perfected
it if one can say that with the Incarnation. He became a man and spent
Himself to devise the means for our perfection. The saints used it. We
must too.
CATHOLIC CULTURE: Things to do on All Saint's Day
- Visiting a cemetery and praying for the dead during the Octave of
All Saints' Day (November 1 through November 8) will gain a plenary
indulgence that can be applied only to the souls in purgatory. On other
days, this work gains a partial indulgence.
- Spend a little time after Mass thanking God for all the unnamed saints, some of whom could be our own relatives.
- Have a special meal and if you have young children have them dress up like saints and play games.
- Pray the Litany of the Saints -- you could make it really special
by chanting it ("he who sings prays twice") and you could read an explanation of this litany, which is considered the model of all other litanies.
- From the Catholic Culture library:
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "On discernment of thoughts, passions,
and virtues"
18. A good schedule and resolution for the advanced,
and evidence of their progress is: absence of vainglory, freedom from anger,
good hope, stillness, discernment, firm remembrance of the judgment compassion,
hospitality, moderation in reproof, dispassionate prayer, lack of avarice.
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