Are You "Wasting" Your Life?

"This time I have God"

Just had to share this with you all. Such a beautiful story.

Golden-voiced homeless man: This time I have God - TODAY People - TODAYshow.com

An Interview with Bl. Dominic Barberi - Key Man in Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman's Conversion to the Catholic Faith

"Know Thyself"

I've had extra time on my hands lately, and so decided to delve deeper into who I am. I've taken personality tests/etc. before (such as the Myers-Briggs - I am most likely an ISFP if you are curious) but thought it was time to revisit where I am now, and perhaps where I've been in the past.

When we gain better knowledge of ourselves, we are better able to conquer our faults and disordered attitudes/attachments which often can cause us to sin. Having a deep knowledge of self is one of the best ways in advancing in the spiritual life and toward the perfection that Jesus calls us to; always with the help of His grace of course.

One of the ways in which to do this, keep in mind this is only one, is to study the temperments, and find out which one describes you best. There are four: The Choleric, Sanguine, Melancholic, and Phlegmatic. Most people are a mixture of two. I highly recommend taking some time to read Rev. Conrad Hock's The Four Temperments which can be found online in full text. There is a test at the end which you can take to better help you discern which temperment(s) fit you. It's also wonderful because he looks at it from a Catholic perspective.

I also found some good summaries online of the four temperaments by Fr. Antonio Royo Marin, O.P. Here is Post I on the Sanguine and Melancholic, and Post II on the Choleric and Phlegmatic.

Happy discovering. :-)

P.S. I had a curious mixture of the four temperaments, but my highest score was predominantly the melancholic.

"People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering."
~St. Augustine

"Know thyself, or at least keep renewing the acquaintance."
 ~Robert Brault

Mercy: Refreshed in God's Love

"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end; They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:21-23)

"His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning..." This bears repeating. How often do we wake up in the morning, thanking God for a new day? A new day? That is one of the things which mystifies me. How each day, in His infinite Mercy, God grants the gift of a fresh sunrise, and a chance to start anew. 

Today was one of those days where I got caught up in the circumstances of life, feeling as though I was stuck in a rut...with no way out, and not worthy of getting up again. As I was mulling over the events of the day..thinking, "I should have done this, I could have done that...why did I have to do that?" when God interrupted me. "I forgive you." I stopped short. What was that Lord? "You are my child, I forgive you. I died for you to wash away your sin. I love you. Start again." Whoa. Amidst my utter astonishment at my lack of trust, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace, love, and gratitude for this grace.

I think sometimes we tend to forget how real God's mercy is. Perhaps the message of the Cross becomes desensitized to our hearts, and we take for granted what a gift Jesus has purchased, for us. The mercy of God is never stagnant, old, or incapable of touching our hearts in a new way. As the psalmist says, His mercies, "are new every morning." That should give us great hope and encouragement. The God of all, who loves us infinitely, still calls out to us. He is always ready to forgive, refresh, and help us get back up again; when we turn to Him with all our heart.

*Author's note: God's Mercy is most explicitly displayed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. There He waits with open arms to forgive, and bestow graces to strengthen us. If you are Catholic and have been away from the Church, it's a great place to come and be renewed. Pray about it. For more information on the Sacrament of Reconciliation, go here.

Tested in the Fire: How God Grows our Hearts

"Behold I have refined you...I have tried you in the furnace of affliction." (Isaiah 48:10)

It is certainly true that the Lord tests and refines those He loves. At each point I've come to the threshold, the breaking point where I will surely perish, and then, "wham!" I am pushed further. I realize how shallow and frail my faith is at these times...when the circumstances of my life seem to shatter all I once knew. But I am not without hope, not yet.

The Lord has not left me alone. In showing me how weak I am, Jesus reveals how powerful His grace is if I am willing to receive it. As the Lord reveals to St. Paul: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9) The key though, is allowing the Lord to do so. Much of this lies in surrender and accepting the cross; a daily struggle for me.

When I look at the lives of the saints though, I can only be encouraged. How much they suffered! Lives fraught with pain, uncertainty, and tremendous obstacles...but they were able to persevere. In the end they triumphed because they knew what awaited them. The Lord has already won, taking on all of human suffering to open the door to Heaven for His Beloved.

I see that I must seek God's love through the cross...and not miss this opportunity to show my Love for Him while I yet have the chance. Jesus died for me. What I am suffering, is but a small trial...and through it, Jesus is growing my heart. No other way to salvation exists but the way of the Cross. And so I will press on! I will fight the good fight and not grow weary. The Lord is my strength.

"...now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold, which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:7)

"I see that God never tries us beyond what we are able to suffer. Oh I fear nothing; if God sends such great suffering to a soul. He upholds it with an even greater grace, although we are not aware of it. One act of trust at such moments gives greater glory to God than whole hours passed in prayer filled with consolations." (St. Faustina, Diary [78])

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul...Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me....surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23)

When God Speaks....

"In the silence of the Heart,
 God speaks"
~Blessed Mother Teresa

I've often seen the workings of God in my daily life...lately, it seems as though my spiritual life has been somewhat stagnant. Never a good thing. I know without a doubt, the fault is mine. More than anything else, it seems as though I have forgotten the importance of silence. If I know God is speaking, why can I not hear Him? Because I have ceased to listen.

When you sincerely wait, seeking His voice, Jesus will not disappoint. "Whoever seeks shall find. Whoever knocks, the door will be opened," as He said. It takes practice, to be sure; that is why the more you come before Him, seeking in silence, the easier it will be to hear Him.

There are many ways to practice silence, and truly listen to be attuned to God's voice...but onne of the best is in Eucharistic Adoration. Since the Eucharist is truly Jesus, Body, Blood, Soul, & Divinity, what better way to hear Him than when you can be directly in His presence?

Many Catholics, sadly, either do not know He is really there, or do not believe in His real Presence. I'm here to tell you, HE IS REALLY THERE. It is Jesus who longs for us in the closed off churches of the world, waiting to be loved. It is Jesus present on the altar during mass, Him who we meet in Adoration, and He who we receive at Holy Communion. This profound mystery at it's heart cannot fully be known, but revealed in faith and trust into the depths of the heart of the believer.

I had a profound experience of this today at Daily Mass; another great place to experience silence and listen to God. I came to Mass tired physically, and somewhat spiritually exhausted. However, God used this to His advantage, since all my defenses were down, my heart was more open.

Most of the Mass I was attentive, but when it came time and I received Him in the Eucharist, His Body and Blood, God awakened my heart anew. Interiorly, I felt as though I had somehow come to an intense, deep, newfound realization that Jesus had just come within me; and it was all I could do to hold back tears. When and how God chooses to reveal Himself to us, often baffles me. But there I knelt, aware in a completely new way of the closeness of Jesus, and that He was truly ALL I WANTED, AND ALL I NEEDED. Period. That was it. For that moment in time, I was drawn into the mystery, and absolute LOVE, of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Though I have been raised a Catholic, it was years before I finally found out that the Eucharist was not just a symbol, but truly Christ. Since then, Jesus has made this truth known in my heart, and I have often had experiences of the Presence of Jesus during Adoration, but never as much in receiving Him. It is difficult to describe the inner peace and joy that Jesus blessed me with today.

Above all, I want to continue to know Him more. To love Him more, and know more deeply of His love. I am willing to wait for Him, in that profound silence of Love within my Heart, when God speaks.

I challenge you, how will you hear God speak? And, will you Listen?


*Click HERE for more information about the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Musings...

There is a sheer brutality, a truth, that speaks of the realness of being human. What is a soul? Where and how do we find one another in the paths our lives take? When one soul touches another, how does that speak of God? How can we be more human, and so come to see the reality of our souls? For as the soul is created, so also is the body. What does it mean, to BE?

Out of darkness....comes light....So how can we begin to rise, without first falling? Out of suffering, comes compassion, and a deeper insight into the reality of what it means to BE Human.

Christ was not only our Savior and Lord, but in great humility, was also explicitly the most HUMAN. How did Jesus, being fully human, aside from being fully God, live what we call the "human condition?" There is much we do not know...but what we do, is that He suffered, but also rejoiced! How do we come to live in the example He left?

Where does time stop, and Heaven begin? Or rather does time enfold into the reality of Heaven we could not understand? If our Lord created Heaven AND Earth, are they not therefore connected through our Creator?

Why do we love? How do we persevere in Love? Do we understand Who is Love? What is at the heart of a person when you look into the window of their soul, and how do you begin to see yourself in their place?

All I know, is that Jesus loves me, and I Him. There is something about the realness of being human, yes. But also, something that is more real than can be explained....in the connection of our hearts, to God.

Flowers Among the Thorns....Love Amid Life's Chaos

It's interesting; life is.

I feel as though lately I've been on a desert whirlwind and I can't quite grasp much of anything. I feel confused at times, and wonder at what God is up to. I think I am going through a dry spell spiritually, while so much is happening on the outside.

Starting a new job, discerning my vocation (I simply am clueless at this point which order of religious sisters God wants me to be a part of), moving, financial worries, family issues, my health...so much that I worry too much about instead of giving it to Him. I must constantly remind myself to surrender everything in trust and love to Jesus, who can handle it all much better than I can. :)

But through all this, Jesus is reminding me how much I truly need Him, for without Him, I am nothing. It is only by His grace and love, that my life draws meaning.

Also, more and more I am seeing the providence of God unfolding in my life. Trusting in that providence however, can be somewhat more difficult. Still, circumstances, I not only believe but have also experienced, are never coincidence. Even if we can't see the plan of God before us, be sure that He does.

Often times, I find myself looking back, (it is one of the only ways to recognize God's plan, in the past) and I see God working amazing things. It baffles my little brain to think that Our Father in Heaven cares that much about just one person to order the universe in such a way! Imagine the planning and work that God must put into that!!!

It's humbling to think my Father would do so much for me! How much more then must he love and care for the whole world! How much Our Father must love us! It is something that I cannot begin to understand, but only trust with in my heart.

Speaking of Love, of the tender love of God...when Jesus fills your heart with greater capacity for love, and you see how gentle and meek is Jesus who loves us....it's inexpressible.

Blessed Mother Teresa says:

"I think that every time we say the Our Father, God looks at His hands, where we are etched. ‘See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands...’ (Isaiah 49:16). What a beautiful description and also expressive of the personal love God feels for each one of us!"

So just remember, whatever is going on in your life, God has a plan. And it is all being worked out by a Father who loves us so much, that he gave up His Son, to die for us. Look at a crucifix if you need reminding. :) For I believe that when we look at Jesus on the Cross, He is saying to us, "I love you this much."

"Who am I?"

From an excerpt of the book: Spiritual Direction, by Henri Nouwen.

"The basic question "Who am I?" resurfaces throughout life. An old Talmudic tale sheds light on the true identity and value of each and every human being at the deepest level:

The Fugitive and the Rabbi

One day a young fugitive, trying to hide himself from the enemy, entered a small village. The people were kind to him and offered him a place to stay. But when the soldiers who sought the fugitive asked where he was hiding, everyone became very fearful.The soldiers threatened to burn the village and kill every person in it unless the young man was handed over to them before dawn.

The people went to the Rabbi and asked him what to do. Torn between handing over the boy to the enemy and having his people killed, the Rabbi withdrew to his room and read his bible, hoping to find an answer before dawn. In the early morning, his eyes fell on these words: "It is better that one man dies than that the whole people be lost."

Then the Rabbi closed the Bible, called the soldiers, and told them where the boy was hidden. And after the soldiers led the fugitive away to be killed, there was a feast in the village because the Rabbi had saved the lives of the people. But the Rabbi did not celebrate. Overcome with a deep sadness, he remained in his room.

That night an angel came to him and asked, "What have you done?" He said, "I handed over the fugitive to the enemy." Then the angel said: "But don't you know that you have handed over the Messiah?" "How could I know?" the Rabbi replied anxiously. Then the angel said: "If, instead of reading your Bible, you had visited this young man just once and looked into his eyes, you would have known."

Are we not challenged in daily life to look deeper into the eyes of the people we encounter - even if they are running away from something - and to see in them the face of God? Perhaps just knowing that they too are beloved children of God will be enought to prevent us from handing them over to the enemy. Are we not also challenged and encouraged to look more deeply at the way God sees u - beloved, accepted, affirmed, and worthy of salvation? Are we, like the fugitive, relections of the Messiah?

There is in each of us an inner voice of Love that says: "You are the beloved of God!"

[Unfortunately] The ultimate spiritual temptation is to doubt this fundamental truth about ourselves and trust in alternative identities. Sometimes we answer the question "Who am I?" with the response, "I am what I do." When I do good things an dhave a little success in life, I feel good about myself. But when I fail, I start getting depressed. And as I get older and can't do much, all I can say is, "Look what I did in my life...look, look, look, I did something good."

Or we might say, "I am what other people say about me." What people say about you has great power. When people speak well of you, you can walk around quite freely. But when somebody starts saying negative things about you, you might start feeling sad. When someone talks against you, it can cut deep into your heart. Why let what others say about you - good or ill - determine who you are?

You might also say, "I am what I have." For example, I am a Dutch person, with kind parents, a fine education, and good health. But as soon as I lose any of it, if a family member dies, if my health goes, or if I lose my property, then I can slip into inner darkness.

How much of our energy goes into defining ourselves by deciding "I am what I do," "I am what others say about me," or "I am what I have?" When that's the case, life often follows a repetitive up-and-down motion. When people speak well about me, and when I do good things, and when I have a lot, I am quite up and excited. But when I start losing, when I suddenly find out that I can't do some task anymore, when I learn that people talk against me, when I lose my friends, then I slip into the pit.

What I want to say to you is that this whole zigzag approach is wrong. I am not what I do, and you are not what you do, or what others say about you, or what you possess. "You are God's Beloved!"

The voice that speakes from above and from within whispers softly or declares loudly: "You are my Beloved son or daughter, on you my favor rests." It certainly is not easy to hear that voice in a world filled with voices that shout: "You are no good; you are ugly; you are worthless; you are despicable; you are nobody unless you can demonstrate the opposite." These negative voices are so loud and so persistent that it is easy to believe them. That's the trap of self-rejection. It is the trap of being a fugitive hiding from your truest identity.

Self rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that declares we are loved. Being the beloved [of God] expresses the core truth of our existence.

Dear friend, being the beloved is the origin and the fulfillment of the life of the Spirit...From the moment we claim the truth of being the beloved, we are faced with the call to become who we are...[St.] Augustine's words, "My soul is restless until it rests in you O God," capture well this journey. That I am always searching for God, always struggling to discover the fullness of Love, and always yearning for the complete truth, tells me that I have already been given a taste of God, of Love, and of Truth. I can only look for something that I have, to some degree, already found."

And so, I continue to look for that which I have already found. I continue to seek, and know that I will find. I remind myself of who I am. Know who you are. You are the Beloved of GOD!

The Connection of the Cross

The following is a wonderful homily by St. John Chrysostom. It truly is amazing how connected we are from the beginning when God made the earth and the first man and woman. In God and through Jesus Christ the Son, together with the Holy Spirit, we are truly brought together as sons and daughters to share in the love of our Maker, Savior, and His Spirit. Jesus paid our penalty, and lifted us up with Him on His glorious cross.

"Adam and Christ, Eve and Mary

You have observed His outstanding triumph, the splendid achievement of the cross. Now let me tell you something even more remarkable, the manner in which He gained His victory, and you will marvel all the more.

Christ conquered the devil using the same means and the same weapons that the devil used to win. Let me tell you how this occurred.The symbols of our fall were a virgin, a tree and death. The virgin was Eve (for she had not yet known man); then there was the tree; and death was Adam's penalty. And again these three tokens of our destruction, the virgin, the tree and death, became the tokens of our victory. Instead of Eve there was Mary, instead of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the wood of the cross; in stead of Adam's death, the death of Christ.

Do you see then that the devil was defeated by the very means he used to conquer? By a tree the devil laid Adam low, and by a tree Christ defeated him. The first tree sent men to the world below, but the second called back those who had already gone down. The first tree buried man, already naked and a captive; the second revealed the victor naked to all the world.

The first death condemned those who were born afterward, but the second death raised up even those who were born before. Who will speak of the powers of the Lord? Though dead we became immortal. Such is the great achievement of the cross. Do you now understand the victory and the way is was won?

Learn now how this victory was achieved without any labor or effort of our own. We bloodied no weapons, nor stood on the battle line, nor bore any wounds, nor saw any fighting, and yet we won the victory. It was the Lord's combat, but our was the crown. And since it is our victory, let us be like soldiers and raise joyous voices in song in praise of our achievement. Praising the Lord let us say: Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?

All this was the glorious result of the cross. The cross is our trophy raised against the demons, our sword against sin, and the sword Christ used to pierce the serpent. The cross is the Father's will, the glory of the Only -begotten, the joy of the Spirit, the pride of the angels, the guarantee of the Church, Paul's boast, the bulwark of the saints, and the light of the entire world."

*Taken from the Office of Readings (p. 1660)

"You Did It to Me"

On December 11, 1979, Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Here follows an excerpt of her message that day.

"Jesus makes Himself the hungry one, the naked one, the homeless one, the sick one, the one in prison, the lonely one, the unwanted one, and He says: "You did it to Me." He is hungry for our love, and this is the hunger of our poor people. This is the hunger that you and I must find, it may be in our own home...

I...[visited] a home where they had all these old parents...I saw in that home they had everything...but everybody was looking towards the door...And I turned to the sister and I asked..."How is i that these people who have everything here, why are they all looking towards the door, why are they not smiling?" I am so used to the smiles on our poor people, even the dying ones smile. And she said: "This is nearly every day...They are hurt because they are forgotten."...This is where love comes...Maybe in our own family we have somebody who is feeling lonely, who is feeling sick, who is feeling worried...Are we there to receive them?...

I was surprised in the West to see so many young boys and girls given into drugs, and I tried to find out why..."Because there is no one in the family to receive them." Father and mother are so busy they have no time...The child goes back to the street and gets involved in something...These are things that break peace.

But I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a direct war, a direct killing, direct murder by the mother herself. And we read in the Scripture, For God says very clearly: "Even if a mother could forget her child, I will not forget you. I have carved you in the palm of my hand."...That unborn child has been carved in the hand of God...

Many people are very, very concerned with children in India, with the children of Africa where quite a number die, maybe of malnutrition, of hunger and so on, but millions are dying deliberately by the will of the mother. And this is what is the greates destroyer of peace today. Because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing in between...Let us ensure this year that we make every single child born, and unborn, wanted...Have we really made the children wanted?...

We picked up [a man] from the drain, half eaten with worms, and we brought him to the home: "I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die like an angel, loved and cared for." And it was so wonderful to see the greatness of that man who could speak like that, who could die like that without blaming anybody, without cursing anybody, without comparing anything. Like an angel - this is the greatness of our people.

And that is why we believe what Jesus has said: "I was hungry, I was naked, I was homeless, I was unwanted, unloved, uncared for - and you did it to Me.""

*Excerpt taken from "Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light. The Private Writings of the 'Saint of Calcutta.'" Edited with commentary by Brian Kolodiejchuk, M.C.

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross: "When I am lifted up, then I will draw all men to myself."

The Cross is Christ's Glory and Triumph

We are celebrating the feast of the cross which drove away darkness and brought in the light. As we keep the feast, we are lifted up with the crucified Christ, leaving behind us earth and sin so that we may gain the things above. So great and outstanding a possession is the cross, that he who wins it has won a great treasure. Rightly could I call this treasure the fairest of all fair things and the costliest, in fact as well as in name, for in it and through it and for its sake the riches of salvation that had been lost were restored to us.

Had there been no cross, Christ could not have been crucified. Had there been no cross, life itself could not have been nailed to the tree. And if life had not been nailed to it, there would be no streams of immortality pouring from Christ's side, blood and water for the world's cleansing. The legal bond of our sin would not be canceled, we should not have obtained our freedom, we should not have enjoyed the fruit of the tree of life and the gates of paradise would not stand open. Had there been no cross, death would not have been trodden underfoot, nor hell despoiled.

Therefore, the cross is something wonderfully great and honorable. It is great because through the cross the many noble acts of Christ found their consummation - very many indeed, for both his miracles and his sufferings were fully rewarded with victory. The cross is honorable because it is both the sign of God's suffering and the trophy of victory. It stands for his suffering because on it he freely suffered unto death. But it is also his trophy because it was the means by which the devil was wounded and death conquered; the barred gates of hell were smashed, and the cross became the one common salvation of the whole world.

The cross is called Christ's gory; it is saluted as his triumph. We recognize it as the cup he longed to drink and the climax of the sufferings he endured for our sake. As to the cross being Christ's glory, listen to his words: 

Now is the Son of Man glorified, and in him God is glorified, and God will glorify him at once.

And again:

Father, glorify me with the glory I had with you before the world came to be.

And once more:

Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from Heaven: I have glorified it and will glorify it again.

Here he speaks of the glory that would accrue to him through the cross. And if you would understand that the cross is Christ's triumph, hear what he himself also said:

When I am lifted up, then I will draw all men to myself.

Now you can see that the cross is Christ's glory and triumph.


*Taken from the LOTH, Office of Readings
*From a discourse by Saint Andrew of Crete, bishop.

Something Great For God

I realized something today. That I’ve wanted to give myself to something greater since I was little. I just didn’t know what that ‘something’ was.

As a child even, I remember being inspired to do something great. I wanted to give myself over to accomplish a great feat. I felt that I could be a missionary in the most unheard of parts of the world. And if not that, even in looking at careers when I was a bit older, I wanted to do something totally awesome. I felt like I had to go all out, or go home. A philosophy which sometimes is a great thing, but also hinders me in life I’ve realized. But I looked at being an EMT, or working in the emergency room itself, being a policewoman, a firefighter, joining the army, etc. It’s obvious all of these are service oriented careers, and I wanted to do a great service.

Now, I realize, that ‘something’ greater, though I couldn’t see it before, that desire, can be fulfilled by being the spouse of Jesus Christ. It is truly doing something Great, for God. It is more than I could have dreamed for myself, but Jesus has been leading me to it my entire life. And I still seem to have that missionary spirit…I want to travel, to see, to help, to serve the People of God, and in doing bring Jesus to them, and see Jesus in them.

I’ve noticed whenever I’ve gone on a missionary type trip, It’s when I’ve felt the most ALIVE. And I experienced that to even greater lengths when I visited a round of holy religious sisters. That trip awoke in my heart a desire that I didn’t know I had long had. I knew I belonged with a community of women religious. People as devoted to Jesus as I wanted to be. It’s hard to describe, but, it’s like they were made of the same fabric, they ‘fit’ with who I felt God was leading me to. Those who ultimately are in our same vocation, I think, have that effect on us.

Now my task lies in finding that specific community, where I will feel it is home. I keep trusting, praying, and searching, confident that God will light up the darkness ahead of me. Just light enough, so that I can take the next step, but also dark enough that I allow Jesus to take me by the Hand, and lead me while He lights the way.

"The Giver" and Spiritual Poverty

Have any of you ever read The Giver, written in 1993 by Lois Lowry? I've read it. More than once. If you haven't read it, perhaps you should, before reading my post here so I don't spoil it for you.

The story is about a twelve year old boy named Jonas, who lives in a world that is controlled to perfection, at least, that's what the society in Jonas's world believes. Their idea of a kind of "utopia," includes mass murder of the elderly, adults, children, babies...all under the guise of coining the term for someone who has been murdered, as one who was just "released."


They lie continually, seem to have no conscience...can't see color...they rarely feel pain...and they don't go so far as to Love anyone, it's just, "too strong" a feeling. They appoint one man, named the Giver, out of the entire population, to hold all the pain, misery, and memories of the past...consequently, this man is also the only one who can see in color, and holds true joy, love, and wisdom.

I won't give away more of the story, but, though this was written as a fiction novel...doesn't something seem quite nonfiction about it? I remember being shocked when I first read it about the age of 12; just completely appalled at the story. And what shocks me now isn't a story, but the fact that many details of this book currently play out in real life today; and what's more, sadly, have been for quite some time.

Here's an example. It was my brothers birthday today, and so, my family decided to go see a movie in the theatre, something we rarely do. I think the last time I saw a film in theatres was about a year ago. And I wasn't too keen on going to this one, but I consented. We went to see "Shorts." A film about a crazy community that developed this machine called the "black box" that was any kind of gadget you could think of; cell phone, computer, shaver, toaster, anything. Then, it's upstaged by a magic wishing rock. I think they tried to show a good moral at the end, but surreptitiously failed in my opinion. They even named one of the little girls, "hellvetica" and she had this evil theme song that followed her throughout the film. The movie was not worth it.

But anyway, getting back on track...the whole experience kind of shocked me. Before the movie began, they're showing commercial after commercial - kids in designer clothes who decide to play music and start a fashion show in the school cafeteria - etc. The whole time the speakers are so loud you feel like your going deaf. Then the movie plays - and you get sucked into the story. Finally at the end, you wake up like a zombie. Walking back out to your car. And we pay for this?? Subject our kids to stuff like this? (i.e. especially certain movie content? - Shorts, a PG film...do they even make G movies anymore? - can't remember the last time I saw a film rated that in a theatre).

So then, after the film, we head to a store to pick up a few things before going home. And, it's like, man, is everyone still in zombie mode? I mean, the people. Consequently, this is an ongoing phenomena in the US. It's like people are AFRAID... to even look one another in the eye when they pass by! I walk through the store, and it's like everyone coldly stares straight ahead, in their own world. It's like we have individualized "utopias," and we think we're safe inside them. What are we afraid of?

You know, technology is great. But what has it gotten us in America? Materialism, Materialism, Materialism. DVD's, Cd's, I-pods, Mp3's, TV, laptops, cell phones, Blackberries, GPS, Texting...mostly designed to "keep in contact" with eachother. In my opinoin, they tend to do the opposite. And here I am, blogging. Perpetuating the cycle.

The scariest thing, too, is we don't even realize what's happening. Many people are so absorbed into things, and themselves. A lot of people have no morals. They literally can't tell between right and wrong. Case in point, since when did we think it ok to kill a little baby in America, or anywhere? Because that's exactly what abortion is, it's killing. Abortion, the cover-word for infanticide. The term which is even more disguised as "family planning" by certain government officials.

Here is wikipedia's definition of "Infanticide," fyi.

Infanticide is the practice of someone intentionally causing the death of an infant. Often it is the mother who commits the act, but criminology recognizes various forms of non-maternal child murder. In many past societies, certain forms of infanticide were considered permissible. Female infanticide is more common than the killing of male offspring due to sex-selective infanticide. In the United Kingdom, the Infanticide Act defines "infanticide" as a specific crime equivalent to manslaughter that can only be committed by the mother intentionally killing her own baby during the first twelve months of its life; in other cultures, the concept of infanticide includes the intentional killing of children older than twelve months. This article addresses the practice of infanticide within multiple cultural and historical contexts.

Doesn't this seem horribly ironic? Why can't we recognize Infanticide in aboriton? It's the same thing!

Aside from everything this country has...we're really quite poor. And what Mother Theresa once said about our country hits the mark on a lot of what I've been saying.

"Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat."

Thus:

"The poorest country in the world is one which does not protect its own children."

Yet, there is a way out! We don't have to remain spiritually poor. When will the majority of America wake up and realize what seems that only the minority knows? That we have something better than the Giver in Lois Lowry's book.

That we have Christ Jesus.

So spread the word.

A Poem, and happenings in my life....

I thought today I would post on how things have been going right now in my life. It's really difficult to describe how God is working in me. I feel that He is piling crosses upon me (hence a lot of recent posts concerning the Holy Cross and Jesus' passion). Yet Jesus is ever mindful to give me no more than I can handle.

I was thinking the other day, that truly, what a privilege it is to suffer for Christ. To be like Him, we must also suffer. And I feel that I understand with greater clarity why the Saints rejoiced in their sufferings. Of course, it is not human nature to love suffering, therefore it is certainly a great grace from God. For on our own, we can do nothing. But to suffer for HIM! And to remain close to Him through the suffering...yes...with God's grace, I can say that I am willing to endure my suffering.

And so, I will describe one of the crosses Jesus has allowed I bear. That of unemployment. All summer, I have been searching, trying to find work. You never know how much of a blessing work can be until you don't have it. And the positions I did get interviews for, were given to a better candidate. But I am content. I feel God's grace at work, and I have peace in my heart. Because I know that Jesus will provide. And I am content to wait until He wills that this cross be lifted.

As the Thomas Kempas says,

"When you reach the degree of patience that tribulation is sweet to you and even relished for Christ, then you may trust that all is well with you, for you have found paradise on earth."

I cannot claim to have attained this. But I feel a certain sense of peace, despite what I am going through.

I realize I am not alone in this kind of cross. Many are unemployed, and the numbers seem to continue to grow higher. But, if your in the same boat that I am, just remember, look to Jesus, He will never abandon you, nor forsake you. He truly does have you in the palm of His hand. So take heart. He will help you.

All for the Love of Christ!

P.S. Here is a poem I have written concerning suffering. I have written a longer version, but thought it best to post the 'condensed' one. And if you are reading this, know I am praying for you.

~Christina

Why I Must Suffer

 The drops of blood You lost

On the way to Calvary

 Encompassed the whole world

And yet were shed for me

What were You thinking Jesus,

When You prayed in Gethsemane?

What made your tears fall,

So heavily?

Could it have been,

For sinners?

Someone,

Like me?

The crowd that day

Must have been fierce

When for me

You endured the sneers

You uttered not a word

Accused

 Of What You had not done

Cast a glance of Love

On those, like me,

Who would give you none

You were past exhaustion,

When my sins

Pressed the thorns

Upon Your head

When carrying the wood

You fell thrice

So I would remember

How to follow One crucified

For next, a man

Pounded in the nails.

And God made Man

Became frail

Didn’t they see the purity,

The sorrow,

And the Love,

In Your eyes?

If I had been there,

Hanging by Your side

If I was that man

Would I?

Finally, near the end,

Raising Your eyes to Heaven

You gave up Your spirit with a cry

Then,

The Savior of the World,

I AM WHO AM,

DIED.

Now I remember

Your bitter Passion Lord

But I must recall too

You DEFEATED DEATH,

You ROSE AGAIN

And You promised to return,

SOON

As Jesus rose

So shall I

And those who believe

But I must learn

To follow Him,

On earth

Through Suffering

It is the only way,

Through Calvary,

That Jesus brings us

To Eternity

For me,

He chose to die

And MY SINS

Tore His Heart asunder,

So I come to understand

And begin to remember,

That I am to be

Like my Maker

And that is why,

As His daughter,

Like Him,

I must suffer.

(*note, Poem subject to copyright infringement)

Makes you think...

I first heard this recited by Archbishop Fulton Sheen and had to look it up to post it here. This poem was written by a man who served in the front lines in WWI as an army chaplain, he was an Anglican priest. He lived in England, and so the town of Birmingham references Birmingham, England. 

Indifference 
By G. Studdert-Kennedy 

When Jesus came to Golgotha,  
They hanged Him on a tree, 
They drove great nails through hands and feet,
And made a Calvary; 

They crowned Him with a crown of thorns,
 Red were His wounds and deep, 
For those were crude and cruel days,
And human flesh was cheap. 
When Jesus came to Birmingham, 
They simply passed Him by. 
They would not hurt a hair of Him,
They only let Him die; 

For men had grown more tender  
And they would not give Him pain, 
They only just passed down the street,
And left Him in the rain.

Still Jesus cried, 
‘Forgive them, for they know not what they do,' 
And still it rained the winter rain,
That drenched Him through and through; 

The crowds went home and left the streets 
Without a soul to see, 
And Jesus crouched against a wall,  
And cried, for Calvary.

I think this very much still applies to our time. These are very powerful words he writes. A somber reminder how the Lord is wounded even more than by those who "hanged him on a tree." Because for those who are indifferent, for them, he cries for Calvary.

The Silent Guide

For those of you who may be struggling or know someone who is...here are some profound words. May they help you as they did me. God Bless.
~Christina


"When God becomes our guide He insists that we trust Hm without reservations and put aside all nervousness about His guidance. We are sent along the path He has chosen for us, BUT WE CANNOT SEE IT, and nothing we have read is any help to us. Were we acting on our own we should have to rely on our experience. It would be too risky to do anything else. But it is very different when God acts with us. Divine action is always NEW and FRESH, it never retraces its steps, but always finds new routes. When we are led by this action, we have no idea where we are going, for the paths we tread cannot be discovered from books or by any of our thoughts. But these paths are always opened in front of us and WE ARE IMPELLED along them.

Imagine we are in a strange district at night and are crossing fields unmarked by any path, but have a guide. He asks no advice nor tells us of his plans. So what can we do except trust Him? It is no use trying to see where we are, look at maps or question passers-by. That would not be tolerated by a guide who WANTS us to rely on him. He will get satisfaction from overcoming our fears and doubts, and will insist that we have COMPLETE TRUST in Him.

God's activity can never by anything but GOOD, and does not need to be reformed or controlled. It began at the creation of the world and up to now has continued with the SAME ENERGY which knows no limits. Its fertility is inexhaustible. It does one thing today, another tomorrow, yet it is the same activity which every moment produces constantly fresh results, and it WILL CONTINUE throughout eternity. (I.E. GOD'S AWESOME PROVIDENCE)

It [God's activity] produced Abel, Noah, and Abraham - all different types. Isaac is also ORIGINAL (JUST AS YOU ARE, NO ONE COULD EVER REPLACE YOU IN GOD'S EYES). Jacob is not the duplicate of him, nor is Joseph a facsimile of Jacob. Moses is different from his ancestors. David and the prophets bear no resemblance to the patriarchs. John the Baptist stands alone. Jesus Christ is the first-born, and the Apostles are moved more by guidance of His spirit than by imitating His works.

Jesus Christ did not restrict Himself, for He did not follow all His own precepts literally. His most holy soul was always inspired by the Holy Spirit and always responsive to its slightest breath. He never had to consult the moment that had passed to know what to do in the coming one, for HIS EVERY MOMENT was conditioned by the breath of grace according to those ETERNAL TRUTHS CONTAINED IN THE INVISIBLE AND UNFATHOMABLE WISDOM OF THE HOLY TRINITY.

His soul received its orders constantly and carried them out in His daily life. The Gospel LETS US SEE the EFFECT of these truths in the life of Jesus Christ, always ALIVE and ACTIVE, who CONTINUES TO LIVE AND WORK fresh wonders in the souls of those who love Him.

If we wish to live according to the Gospel, WE MUST ABANDON OURSELVES SIMPLY and COMPLETELY to the ACTION of GOD. Jesus Christ is its SOURCE. He "is the same today as He was yesterday and as He will be forever" (Heb 13:8). What He has done is finished, what remains to be done is being carried on EVERY MOMENT. Every saint shares in this divine life, and Jesus Christ, though always the same, is different in each one. The life of each saint is the life of Jesus Christ. It is a new gospel."

*An excerpt written by Jean-Pierre De Caussade, S.J. from His book 'Abandonment to Divine Providence,' as appears in Fr. Benedict Groeschel's book, 'Arise from Darkness.' (Emphasis added)

On God's Love and our sacrifice

*Taken from The Office of Readings for Tuesday, May 5th


"Each one of us is called to be both a sacrifice to God and his priest...

I appeal to you by the mercy of God. This appeal is made by Paul, or rather, it is made by God through Paul, because of God's desire to be loved rather than feared, to be a father rather than a Lord. God appeals to us in his mercy to avoid having to punish us in his severity.

Listen to the Lord's appeal: In me, I want you to see your own body, your members, your heart, your bones, your blood. You may fear what is divine, but why not love what is human? You may run away from me as the Lord, but why not run to me as your father? Perhaps you are filled with shame for causing my bitter passion. Do not be afraid.This cross inflicts a mortal injury, not on me, but on death. These nails no longer pain me, but only deepen your love for me. I do not cry out because of these wounds, but through them I draw you into my heart. My body was stretched out on the cross as a symbol, not of how much I suffered, but of my all-embracing love. I count it no loss to shed my blood: it is the price I have paid for your ransom. Come, then, return to me and learn to know me as your father, who repays good for evil, love for injury, and boundless charity for piercing wounds.

Listen now to what the Apostle urges us to do. I appeal to you, he says, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice. By this exhortation of his, Paul has raised all men to priestly status.

How marvelous is the priesthood of the Christian, for he is both the victim that is offered on his own behalf, and the priest who makes the offering. He does not need to go beyond himself to seek what he is to immolate God: with himself and in himself he brings the sacrifice he is to offer God for himself. The victim remains and the priest remains, always one and the same. Immolated, the victim still lives: the priest who immolates cannot kill. Truly is is an amazing sacrifice in which a body is offered without being slain and blood is offered without being shed.

The Apostle says: I appeal to you by the mercy of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice. Brethren, this sacrifice follows the pattern of Christ's sacrifice by which he gave his body as a living immolation for the life of the world. He really made his body a living sacrifice, because, though slain, he continues to live. In such a victim death receives its ransom, but the victim remains death for the martyrs is actually a birth, and their end a beginning. Their execution is the door to life, and those who were thought to have been blotted out from the earth shine brilliantly in heaven.

Paul says: I appeal to you by the mercy of God to present your bodies as a sacrifice, living and holy. The prophet said the same thin: Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but you have prepared a body for me. Each of us is called to be both a sacrifice to God and his priest. Do not forfeit what divine authority confers on you. Put on the garment of holiness, gird yourself with the belt of chastity. Let Christ be your helmet, let the cross on your forehead be your unfailing protection. Your breastplate should be the knowledge of God that he himself has given you. Keep burning continually the sweet=smelling incense of prayer. Take up the sword of the Spirit. Let your heart be an altar. Then, with full confidence in God, present your body for sacrifice, God desires not death, but faith; God thirsts not for blood, but for self-surrender; God is appeased not by slaughter, but by the offering of your free will."

Wow...so if you were able to get a chance to read through this...there is definitely some very cool points Saint Peter Chrysologus is making. I will humbly try to make light of a couple....
First, that God loves us and Desires to love us as Our Father! How wonderful that we have the privilege and right through the blood of Jesus Christ to share in this relationship! "Why not run to me as your father?" I love this! St. Thereze says something similar in that we should not so much desire to be at the feet of Jesus (though this is a beautiful place to start), but rather to run into His Arms!

"Do not be afraid...these nails no longer pain me, but only deepen your love for me. I do not cry out because of these wounds, but through them I draw YOU into MY HEART. My body was stretched out on the cross as a symbol, not of how much I suffered, but of my all-embracing LOVE!" How great is Jesus' love for us!!

Second point, that we are called to offer ourselves as a LIVING SACRIFICE for God. We are temples of the Holy and Living Spirit of God! HE died on the cross, and rose, giving us HIS BODY as bread, that HE MAY DWELL IN US!! That is one wonderful reason for why we must desire to receive Holy Communion!

Third, have confidence in this relationship with Christ! Since we are called to be sons and daughters of Christ, and His SPIRIT dwells in US, there is strength in this! "Do not forfeit what divine authority confers on you. Put on the garment of Holiness..." "Be not afraid!" Take up the graces that Christ offers us as His Chosen Ones! Through faith, prayer, and self-surrender, give yourself to Christ who has Loved us!

Blessings,
~Christina

On Suffering

I've been meaning to share this for a while. The world tells us, especially in our culture today, "Please yourself, Make yourself happy, You deserve it, You don't have to go through that." All Lies. Truly. If you understand the meaning of suffering and why we must imitate Christ, who suffered much for love of us. This passage, from the Imitation of Christ by Thomas A. Kempis, has really helped me to understand more deeply that we must suffer, if we want to follow Christ. I have put in bold parts that really stood out to me. I hope it helps you as it did me.

On the Royal Road of the Cross



"Anyone who wishes to follow Me must deny self, take up the cross, and follow Me." (Mt 16:24)

Why are you afraid to take up your cross, since it is the only way to the kingdom of heaven? In the cross is salvation and life; in the cross is defense against our enemies. Through the cross heavenly sweetness is poured into our souls, our minds are strengthened and we experience spiritual joy.

In the cross is the height of virtue and the perfection of all sanctity. Without the cross there is no salvation for our souls, nor hope of life eternal. Take your cross, then, and follow Jesus, and you will go into everlasting life.

Remember that Jesus has gone before you bearing His cross and has given His life for you upon that cross, so that you may bear your own cross and long to die on it for love of Him. For if you die with Him, you will also live with Him; and if you have shared His suffering, you will also share His glory.

Behold now in the cross there is all and how all depends on our dying there; for there is no other way to life and interior peace except by way of the cross and by daily mortification. You can go anywhere you will, seek whatever you wish, but you will not find a higher road above nor safer road below than the road of the holy cross.

No matter how you plan things and arrange them to your liking, you will find something to suffer, either willingly or unwillingly, and so you will always find the cross. Either you will suffer bodily pain, or you will endure in your soul tribulation of spirit.

Sometimes God will leave you to your own devices and sometimes your neighbor will irritate you; and what is worse, you will often be a trouble to your own self. No remedy or comfort can free you from this affliction or make it easier for your to bear; you simply have to bear your cross as long as God wills it.

God wants you to learn to suffer tribulation without comfort and, submitting yourself entirely to Him, to grow in humility through tribulation. No one so deeply feels what Christ endured as one who has had to suffer as He did. The cross is always ready and waits everywhere for you; you cannot escape it no matter where you turn.

Wherever you go, you take yourself with you and will always meet yourself face to face. Look upward or downward, within yourself or without; everywhere you will find the cross. And everywhere you must be patient if you desire interior peace and to merit a crown in heaven.

If you carry your cross willingly, it will carry you and bring you to your longed-for end, where there will be no more suffering - though this will not happen on earth. If you carry it grudgingly, it will become a burden and a heavier wight for you to carry, and yet you must bear it.

If you reject one cross, be sure that you will find another, perhaps a heavier one.

Do you think you can escape that which no human being has been able to avoid? What Saint in this world was ever without the cross and without suffering?

Certainly our Lord, Jesus Christ, as long as He lived on earth, was never one hour without sorrow and anguish. "Was it not necessary that the Messiah," He said, "should suffer these things and so enter into His glory?" (Lk 24:26). Then how can you seek any other road than this royal road, the road of the holy cross?

Christ's whole life was a cross and martyrdom; and do you expect pleasure and enjoyment for yourself? You make a grave mistake if you look for anything other than suffering; for this mortal life of ours is full of misery and surrounded with crosses.

The higher persons advance in the way of perfection, the heavier will they often find crosses to be. This is because the more their love of God grows, the more painful is their exile from God.

However, though such persons are afflicted in many ways, they do not lack entirely the relief of consolations; for they are aware of the great reward they reap by bearing their cross. And when they willingly submit themselves to it, their burden of suffering is turned into confidence that they will receive consolation from God.

The weaker the flesh becomes through affliction, the stronger the spirit is made by inward grace. And so it often happens that these persons gains so much strength through their desire of adversity and affliction in order to be conformed to the Crucified Christ, that they are unwilling to be without such sorrow and affliction. They are convinced that the more they can bear for love of Christ, the more pleasing they will be in God's eyes.

It is not by their own strength, but through the grace of Christ - which can and does have such a powerful effect on human frailty - that human beings can choose and even love that which by nature they hate and reject.

It is not the tendency of human beings to bear the cross and to love it, to chastise the body and to subdue it, to flee honors and to put up with reproaches, to despise themselves and to wish others to despise them, to bear all opposition and losses and not to desire any prosperity in this world.

If you trust in yourself, you will never accomplish this; but if you put your trust in God, you will be given strength from heaven, and the world and the flesh will be made subject to your command. If you are armed with faith and marked with the cross of Christ, you will not fear your enemy, the devil; for he will have no power over you.

Steel yourself, as a faithful servant of Christ, bravely to bear the cross of your Lord, Who out of love for you was nailed to the cross. Prepare yourself, then, to suffer all kinds of adversities and inconveniences in the this wretched life; for you cannot avoid them no matter where you hide. So it is in life, and there is no avenue of escape but to keep yourself in patience.

If you desire to be our Lord's dear friend and to share what is His, then you must drink heartily of His chalice. As for consolations, leave those to His will and He will arrange them as He sees best for you.

But be you prepared to suffer tribulations and to consider them the greatest comforts, saying with St. Paul: "I consider that the sufferings of Christ we presently endure are miniscule in comparison with the glory to be revealed in us" (Rom 8:18), even though you alone were able to endure it all.

When you reach the degree of patience that tribulation is sweet to you and even relished for Christ, then you may trust that all is well with you, for you have found paradise on earth.

But as long as suffering plagues you and you seek to run away from it, then you will know htat it is not well with you. You are a long way from perfect patience and the tribulation you flee will follow you everywhere.

If you resolve to do what you ought, that is, to suffer and to die to yourslef, things will go better with you and you will find peace.

Even though you may have been caught up to the third heaven with St. Paul, you are not on that account free from adversity; for our Lord, speaking of St. Paul, said: "I myself will show him how much he will have to suffer for the sake of My Name." (Acts 9:16) If you would love our Lord and serve Him constantly, then suffering remains your lot.

Oh that you were worthy to suffer something for the Name of Jesus! What great glory would await you, what great rejoicing among all the Saints, and, moreover, what great edificaiton to your neighbor!

All human beings commend patience, but how few there are who desire to suffer! You should be wiling to suffer a little for Christ, since many suffer far greater thins for the world.

Be sure of this, that you must lead a dying life; and the more you die to yourself here, the more you will begin to live to God. No one is worthy to understand heavenly things unless that person has first learned to bear afflicitons for Christ.

Nothing is more pleasing to God, or more profitable for you, than to suffer gladly for Christ. And if you would become more like Christ and follow the example of the Saints. Our merit and progress in the spiritual life does not consist in the enjoyment of consolations and heavenly sweetness, but rather in bearing adversities and afflictions.

Had there been a better way than suffering for the good of a person's soul, our Lord would certainly have shown it by word and example. but since there was not, He clearly urged His disciples and all those who wished to follow Him to carry the cross, saying: "Anyone who wishes to folow Me mus deny self, take up the cross daily, and follow Me." (Lk 9:23)

Therefore, when we have read and searched out all htings, we come to the final conclusion, that "It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships before we enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). And may our Lord, Jesus Christ, bring us there.


















"The Maker of man, the Wisdom of God, has come, not in strength but in weakness...Instead of wealth, He has come poor; instead of honor, He has come in ignominy; instead of blessedness, He has come to suffer...He....has shed His whole blood in satisfaction [for our sin] when a SINGLE DROP might have sufficed."
- Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman