Monthly Archives: October 2019

Oct282019

View from a plane

Freedom to be a child, once again weary and torn,
A restraint removed, crossing a threshold, oblivious,
The surrender of will, returning a gift to the Creator,
That which is granted is given back, troubled, unaware,
Prodigal soul perceiving the ever-present hold,
Omniscient, forgiving, omnipotent, defining true love,
Authentic on a level Divine, surpassing the fears,
Surpassing the temporal mind, the immaturity,
The ego desperately needing, hell bent upon identity,
One amongst the many, lonely, singular and blind,
Within a crowd distant and unkind, bitter and cynical,
Studying theology, possessing no capability of loving mankind,
The smell of rotten breath, a disgusting taste left upon a tainted tongue,
Passionately trying, abandoning intuition, too much exertion,
Effort hostile, effort broken and breaking, external and internal, the aftermath
All is good, all is grace, after Mass, the despairing whole-hearted remains,
Seeking, knocking, crying to Our Holy Mother, marveling,
The omnipresent mercy of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

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Oct272019

Setting a primary GOAL in life

Let no my abandonment and my sorrow and my bereavement go to waste. Gather up the fragments, and as the drop of water is absorbed by the wine at the offertory of the Mass, let my life be absorbed in thine; let my little cross be entwined with the great cross so that I may purchase the joys of everlasting happiness in union with thee.

Consecrate these trial of my life which would go unrewarded unless united with thee; transubstantiate me so that like bread which is now thy body, and wine which is now thy blood, I too my be wholly thine. I care not if the species remain, or that, like the bread and the wine I seem to all earthly eyes the same as before. My station in life, my routine duties, my work, my family — all these are but the species of my life which remain unchanged; but the substance of my life: my soul, my mind, my will, my heart – transubstantiate them, transform them wholly into thy service, so that through me all may know how sweet is the life of Christ.  Amen  –Bishop Fulton J Sheen ‘Calvary and the Mass’

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Oct262019

“Freedom is ours to give away”

Obviously, some give their freedom away and become slaves in the most disastrous sense of the term, An alcoholic became such by a free act of choice multiplied a thousandfold. Finally came the surrender, and he became the “slave of drink.” He sold his choice, but in a way to destroy his personality. Now take another example in which one gives away freedom of choice to attain a true spiritual freedom. The husband in love with his wife, acquired by a free choice on the part of both, is an example of the highest kind of liberty in the order of affection. True spiritual liberty exists when two essential values are acquired by a free choice on the part of both is an example of the highest kind of liberty in the order of human affection. True liberty exists when two essential values are acquired: self-mastery, by which one is liberated from external constraint such as excessive drinking or smoking; and the complete and total gift of self to justice, truth, and love, which are rooted in God. Such are those who dedicate themselves to the person of Christ in serving lepers to make reparations for sins. Others use their free choice to attain what is to them the maximum of spiritual liberty. As Kafka wrote, “Christ is such an abyss of light that before Him one must close his eyes to avoid throwing oneself to Him in total dedication.” At this peak of freedom, one has quite surpassed the first stage of freedom which is identified with the power to choose evil as well as good; one enters into the spontaneity of love in full clarity. The truth is that man is not so much free as freeable; he makes himself free by choosing those goals which give his spirit the maximum room for joy. –Bishop Fulton J Sheen ‘On Being Human’

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Oct262019

Freedom through lack of speech

I wish also that thou esteem as a great treasure the virtue of silence, which I have practiced from my birth. By the light which the Most High gave me, I was conversant with all the virtues; but I attached myself to this one with great predilection, resolving to adhere to it as a companion and as a friend during all my lie. Therefore, I kept it inviolate, although I could speak from the moment of my entrance into the world. To speak without moderation and forethought is a two-edged sword, which wounds both him that speaks and him that hears, and thus in two ways destroys charity or hinders it in all the virtues. From this thou canst understand, how much God is offended by the vice of inconsiderate and loose talk, and how justly loquacity, and the tumult of disputation estranges his spirit and veils his presence. For, those that talk much, cannot keep free from grievous sins (Prov 10, 19). Only with God and with his saints one can speak with security, and even then, it must be with forethought and discretion. With creatures it is very difficult to preserve the golden middle, without danger of passing from the correct and necessary to the imperfect and superfluous.

The way to avoid this danger is to tend continually toward the other extreme, striving rather to reflect and be silent. For the prudent medium of speaking only what is necessary, is found more in reflection than in immoderate speech. Remember, my soul, that thou canst not disport thyself in self-sought conversation with creatures without relinquishing God in the secret interior of thy soul; and that which thou canst not do without impudence and insult in thy intercourse with other creatures, thou should not do in thy dealings with thy Lord and the Lord of all. Close thy ears to the deceitful conversations, which might induce thee to speak what thou should not; for it is not just, that thou speak more than what is enjoined thee by thy Lord and Master. Listen to his holy law, which He has, with so liberal a hand, written in thy heart; hear the voice of thy Pastor, and answer Him there, and Him only. I wish to impress thee with the fact, that if thou art to be my disciple and companion, it must be by signalizing thyself especially in this virtue of silence….–The Mystical ity of God by Venerable Mary of Agreda

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Oct242019

Eliminating produces gain

Restlessness is the opposite of contentment. Greater is the number of the restless then the contented, and yet contentment is not impossible in any situation of life. Contentment is the virtue of being satisfied with whatever state or condition in which we find ourselves. It consists not so much in adding fuel to the fire as in taking some fire away; not in multiplying wealth, but in diminishing desires, in realizing that thirst can better be quenched out of a cup then out of a river. Velvet slippers do not cure gout, and a bed of gold does not ease sickness more readily than a mattress of straw. –Bishop Fulton J. Sheen ‘On Being Human’

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Oct202019

Waking in the Darkness

Habituation once again inflicting, stubborn,
The still moments of emptiness, obstinate,
Burdened with the weight of self-formation,
I taught myself how to grow old and hurts,
The ways of waywardness being purged, bleeding,
Unaware pain troubling throughout the years, a life,
A headache, a heartache, thoughts dissipating,
Disappearing within an emerging, decreasing,
Increasing response to the Holy Spirit, Divine Will,
The creation of salvation, the love of being loved.

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Oct182019

Mystical City of God

In proportion to this incomparable humility most holy Mary possessed also all the other virtues, which be-long to modesty. The desire of knowing more than is necessary, ordinarily arises from the want of humility and charity. This is a fault not only of no use, but of great hindrance in the advancement of virtue, as happened with Dina (Gen. 24, 1), who, going out to see what was no benefit to her, suffered such great damage to her honor. From the same root of proud presumption usually also springs superfluous ostentation and finery in outward dress, and also the disorderly behavior in gesture and carriage, which serves sensuality and vanity, testifying to the levity of the heart according to the saying of Ecclesiasticus (19, 27) : “The attire of the body and the laughter of the teeth, and the gait of the man, show what he is.” All the virtues opposed to these vices were in most holy Mary in their entirety, void of all disinclination or feebleness in the exercise of them. They were like companions of her profound humility, charity and purity, that revealed the certain tokens of a nature more heavenly than earthly.

She was most studious without being curious; for though She was replete with a wisdom far above that of the cherubim, She studied and allowed Herself to be taught as if ignorant of all things. Whenever She made use of her divine science or sought to learn the will of God, She was so prudent and attended so carefully and exactly to all circumstances that her efforts always wounded the heart of God and drew and inclined Him to fulfill her most well-ordered wishes. In poverty and frugality She was most admirable; for being the Mistress of all creation and having full right to dispose of it, She yielded all right of possession to the Lord in imitation of her most holy Son; namely, just as the Father gave all things into the hands of the incarnate Word, so the Word put all into the hands of his Mother, and She, similarly offered all things, as well in desire as in fact, for the glory of her Son and Lord. Of the modesty of her behavior and sweetness of her intercourse, and Of all her exterior actions, it is sufficient to repeat what is asserted by the wise man of Athens, saint Dionysius, that She would have deserved to be looked upon as more than human, if faith did not teach that She is a mere creature.

CITY OF GOD
THE CONCEPTION
THE DIVINE HISTORY AND LIFE
OF THE
VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD
Sister Mary of Agreda

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