Monthly Archives: June 2016

Here am I

This is for a significant other. It is important to me, without any explanation or deviation.

After these things God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham”, and he answered, “Here am I.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” –Genesis 22:1-2

7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here am I, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. 9* When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 Then Abraham put forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” –Genesis chp 22

11 Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am! –Genesis 31:11-13

13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers, and with the flock; and bring me word again.” So he sent him… –Genesis 37:12-14

God spoke to Israel in visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here am I.” 3 Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt; for I will there make of you a great nation. 4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again; and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.” –Genesis 46:1-4

God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here am I.” 5* Then he said, “Do not come near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6* And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. –Exodus 3:4-6

3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down within the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called, “Samuel! Samuel!” and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. 6 And the LORD called again, “Samuel!” And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. 8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, Speak, LORD, for thy servant hears.'” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the LORD came and stood forth, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for thy servant hears.”. –1 Samuel chp 3

…I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3* And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4* And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6 Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having in his hand a burning coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven.” 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” 9* And he said, “Go, and say to this people: ‘Hear and hear, but do not understand; see and see, but do not perceive.’ 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”. –Isaiah 6:1-10

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am. –Isaiah 58:8-9

1* I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, “Here am I, here am I,” to a nation that did not call on my name. 2 I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices. –Isaiah 65:1-2

9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named Saul; for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight. –Acts of the Apostles chp 9

Here I am. Totally present, absolutely, to the best of abilities acutely aware, honest, open and willing. Stilled. Not petitioning, apologizing, nor even thanksgiving. The discursive mind paused.

A sincere desire to cleanse the feet of Our Lord with tears, to kiss the wounds of His crucifixion, to hold my face to the Sacred Heart, witnessing, experiencing the beating, as did the beloved disciple.

Our Holy Mother acquiescing as a teenager, bowing to Gabriel, instantly, humbly, responding in the affirmative to the proposal from God.

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” –Luke 1:38

Here I am Lord. Thy will be done.

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Glory to God through purity

We can see the way to cleanness of heart…if we look at the Church’s liturgy, for indeed if its first and supreme purpose is to give worship to God, it has the additional purpose of cleansing the mind, heart, and the whole personality.  We should see that its purpose is to cleanse the personality so that then we may be able to offer God a more adequate sharing in the worship of Christ.  The liturgy is art; but its essential material is man himself.  The various arts of man, all the creatures of the earth, the sun, the moon, and stars are brought into the act of worship.  However it is first and foremost, the total man (in Christ) who is self-offered, the total man who is articulated, the total man who is cleansed, who expresses the most powerful manifestation of worship. –Father Gerald Vann ‘The Divine Pity’

Father Gerald Vann

Father Gerald Vann

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An Arise Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ
We have gathered in this community
Because we seek to know your will
And carry it out in our lives

We often become intensely aware
Of the wide disparity between what we should be doing
And what we actually find ourselves doing
In our relationships with loved ones
As well as those with whom we work and play

By the work of your Holy Spirit
Give us the insight to face the true motives
For our attitudes, words, and actions.

Help us to overcome our selfishness and envy
So that we may be a blessing to others
Rather than a stumbling block to their spiritual growth
Amen

A study in morality centered in the Catholic Catechism

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A return to a beginning

Accepting, silencing, quieting brokenness,
Rise and walk,
Clearing a space, allowing grace,
The bridegroom away,
Getting out of the way,
An inner-chamber creating pace,
Permanent patches, shrunken cloth in a new garment,
Avoiding tattering and being torn,
Cleansing tears,
New wine in new wineskins,
Counting authenticity one moment at a time,
Passing through mind, body, and spirit,
Prayerfully learning, discernment a gift,
Touch and taste the Presence,
Breathing, being, peace, infinitesimal, immense,
Doing nothing, not even non-doing,
Releasing while increasing,
Receiving while giving away,
Practice makes perfect,
Fortitude makes strong,
Patience endures,
Temperance tempers,
Understanding relieves blindness,
Virtues blossom, a flower bouquet,
Life long, eternity even longer,
Subtle, forming, painful, difficult,
God’s love carries along,
Unsure drifting in the wind,
Carefree inner-tubing down a river,
Actuality alone, together in love,
Words sprinkle like rain,
Images replace, concepts erased,
A Baroque Cathedral splendidly enduring,
A discreet petite efficacy,
An inner-city efficiency,
Phantasmagorias,
Parables,
A cross within a circle,
A Sacred Heart,
An Immaculate Heart,
A heart one’s own,
Many hearts coalescing,
The sound and the roar,
Metamorphoses,
Let’s begin again,
Unknowing,
Trusting underneath the weight of the world,
Trusting within all the longing and imperfection,
Trusting the Emptiness.

Mary_Magdalene_sculpture

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Love’s Living Flame

Dedicated to Rita

O Love’s living flame,
Tenderly you wound
My soul’s deepest center!
Since you no longer evade me,
Will you, please, at last conclude:
Rend the veil of this sweet encounter!

O cautery so tender!
O pampered wound!
O soft hand! O touch so delicately strange,
Tasting of eternal life
And canceling all debts!
Killing, death into life you change!

O lamps of fiery lure,
In whose shining transparence
The deep cavern of the senses,
Blind and obscure,
Warmth and light, with strange flares,
Gives with the lover’s caresses!

How tame and loving
Your memory rises in my breast,
Where secretly only you live,
And in your fragrant breathing,
Full of goodness and grace,
How delicately in love you make me feel!

– St John of the Cross

St John of the Cross. Euclid, Ohio.

St John of the Cross. Euclid, Ohio.

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Human Virtue

Human virtues are firm attitudes, stable dispositions, habitual perfections of intellect and will that govern our actions, order our passions, and guide our conduct according to reason and faith. They make possible ease, self-mastery, and joy in leading a morally good life. The virtuous man is he who freely practices the good.

The moral virtues are acquired by human effort. They are the fruit and seed of morally good acts; they dispose all the powers of the human being for communion with divine love.  –Catechism of the Catholic Church

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